Podcast Summary

Podcast: George Kamel (Ramsey Network)
Episode: Savannah Bananas: Millionaires In Cars Getting Coffee with Jesse Cole
Date: November 7, 2025
Guest: Jesse Cole (Owner, Savannah Bananas)

Main Theme

This episode spotlights Jesse Cole, the eccentric and visionary owner behind the Savannah Bananas—the viral baseball team upending America's pastime with joy, creativity, and spectacle. Host George Kamel drives around with Jesse in a yellow Jeep (dressed in his signature yellow tux), exploring Jesse’s journey from deep debt and near ruin to building a billion-dollar entertainment phenomenon. They talk money lessons, wild experiments, giving back, staying positive, and why the Bananas will never be for sale.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Building the Savannah Bananas: From Debt to Phenomenon

• Origin Story & Early Struggles
  • Jesse recounts hitting rock bottom in 2016, with an overdrawn bank account, needing to sell their house, and going seven figures into debt. The dream survived on ticket and merch sales alone.
    • “January 15, 2016. We got the call that we overdrafted our account. We were out of money. We had to sell our house, empty. Our savings account went into seven figures plus debt. Ideas are everything.” — Jesse (00:14)
  • Community was skeptical; the city had just lost its minor league team, and the new college-level squad was expected to fail.
• Turning the Tide with Entertainment
  • Jesse shifted focus from the sport to entertainment—dancing players, dad-bod cheer squads ("the Mananas"), all-you-can-eat tickets, and zany show elements.
    • “We’re not playing a game, we’re putting on a show… It's hard not to feel the joy. And so I think it’s contagious.” — Jesse (05:16)
  • Start Small, Dream Big: The “one city world tour” approach—testing Banana Ball in Mobile, Alabama, before scaling up to nationwide stadium sellouts.
    • “We talk about it regularly in our organization. One city world tour. Start small, dream big.” — Jesse (13:42)

2. Counterculture and Fan-First Philosophy

• Rule-Breaking Creativity
  • Banana Ball is a new baseball variant designed solely for fan excitement: two-hour limit, no bunting, fans can catch outs, dancing umpires, and more.
    • “We just started from scratch and said, all right, let's just try it.” — Jesse (12:53)
• Universal Participation & Joy
  • Jesse’s ethos: build an event where anybody can shine—cheerleaders of all ages, female players, even a player on stilts.
    • “Anybody can resonate with someone on our cast, our team, our characters. I think that’s really a big part of what we try to do—make sure everyone feels like they belong or could aspire to be something in our show.” — Jesse (07:27)
• Sticking to Their Values
  • No outside investors, no plans to sell—even for a staggering billion-dollar valuation.
    • “They could offer 100 billion. I mean, it would be no in a second.” — Jesse (28:25)
    • “We don't need ROI; we just need to create more fans.” — Jesse (28:31)

3. Money Lessons and Mindset

• From Scarcity to Surplus
  • Jesse and his wife lived frugally through the lean years, prioritizing payroll over personal comfort.
    • “We had to sell tickets to keep us going. We had to sell merchandise to keep us going. I never wanted our people to suffer.” — Jesse (10:52)
  • Championship wins and selling out led to prosperity, but he insists money isn’t the motivator.
    • “Money doesn’t excite me… If you live your life the same way whether you have a million saved, 10 million saved, or 10,000 saved—it’s not going to change the way I live.” — Jesse (39:58)
• Frugal Millionaire Habits
  • Still drives a 2018 Honda, wears mainly yellow tuxes, never bought first-class tickets, spends on family and meals, not stuff.
    • “I drive a 2018 Honda Accord… I don’t buy clothes, I don’t splurge on that.” — Jesse (36:20)
• Early Lessons in Saving
  • Inspired by his dad, Jesse saved half of every paycheck—even as a $27k/year GM.
    • “My dad said, you got to live where you save every other paycheck. … Half of everything comes in just goes away.” — Jesse (38:14)

4. Giving & Culture of Generosity

• Bananas Foster (Foster Family Support)
  • The main philanthropic focus: honoring and supporting foster families (Jesse and his wife adopted two children themselves).
    • “Instead of just talking about all the bad, we want to celebrate the good… every night at every single stadium, we honor a future foster family.” — Jesse (42:16)
• Generosity to Staff & Fans
  • Multi-million-dollar team bonus pools, shopping sprees inspired by Dave Ramsey, no ticket or merch fees, and free shipping—all about overdelivering surprise and delight.
    • “We cover all [ticket taxes and fees]. Millions upon millions. And we don’t have to do that.…we try to add different things … you give, you give, you give.” — Jesse (43:39)
• Fan Loyalty in Crisis
  • Fans kept the team afloat during COVID by supporting merch; a testament to reciprocity.
    • “If things are tough, like during COVID... our fans gave. Like they kept trying to buy merchandise. They kept us.” — Jesse (44:13)

5. Relentless Experimentation & Learning

• Wild (and Failed) Experiments
  • Bananas constantly test new show elements, not all of which work (bagpipes, fake baby slingshot game, pregnant women Salt-N-Pepa dance-off).
    • “Have there been any failed experiments?... We were so close to... slingshotting [fake] babies from the upper deck. I’m very glad we didn’t pull the trigger on that.” — Jesse (33:04)
• Everyone Has a Role
  • Anyone with a unique talent could theoretically join the show—skateboard musicians, contortionists, and more.
    • “The question is: what can you do that’s different or remarkable?” — Jesse (31:34)

6. Commitment to Experience Over Exploitation

• Affordable, All-Inclusive Pricing
  • Ticket prices stay flat; all stadiums sell out, but no gouging.
    • “Everyone tells us we need to [raise prices], but we haven’t. Keeping the same again next year, even though everyone tells us we need to.” — Jesse (25:33)
  • Revenue overwhelmingly from tickets and merchandise—less than 1% from partnerships or broadcasts.
    • “Right now, less than 1% of our business model… most people are buying merch.” — Jesse (26:19)
• Long Game Over Quick Cash
  • No rush to go international; focused on dominating underserved U.S. markets first (Chick-fil-A/Southwest playbook).
    • “We still have a lot to learn and we got to figure out how to go to these small little markets... I want to bring our game to all them.” — Jesse (30:15)

7. Positive Impact & Vision

• Joy as a Mission
  • Jesse insists the core purpose is delivering fun and positivity in a divisive, cynical world.
    • “The world is hungry for enjoyment, and we can all provide it.” — Jesse (14:14)
• Refusing Cynicism
  • “You are obnoxiously positive—and I mean that so lovingly—in a culture that is very cynical.” — George (04:47)
• Billion Fans Goal
  • “We’re going to create a billion fans. And I believe we’re going to do it... I want us to get our hands dirty. I want to get in the arena and figure it out. That’s what fires me up.” — Jesse (29:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Coffee wakes up and has a cup of me.” — Jesse on his coffee-free high-energy lifestyle (14:51)
• “They could offer 100 billion. It would be no in a second.” — Jesse on selling (28:25)
• “Money doesn't excite me… My dad overlooks my portfolio—I don’t even have access.” — Jesse (39:45)
• “Focus on your customers, not your competitors.” — Jesse on surpassing MLB teams’ social following (26:43)
• “You give, you give, you give… And if things are tough… our fans gave. That's what I believe in.” — Jesse (44:16)
• “We had to sell tickets to keep us going. We had to sell merchandise to keep us going. … I never wanted to miss payroll. … How do you create a great experience?” — Jesse (10:52)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Jesse’s Origin Story & Early Struggles: 00:14 – 02:00, 08:32 – 12:32
• Countercultural Branding & Merch (Dolce & Banana): 02:31 – 03:14
• Philosophy: Entertainment Over Sport: 04:00 – 07:27
• Banana Ball Rules & Origin: 12:32 – 14:14
• Coffee-Free Hype & “Banana Matcha” Tasting: 14:39 – 25:12
• Business Model & Prices: 25:22 – 27:35
• Never Selling, No Investors: 27:35 – 29:46
• International Expansion Philosophy: 30:11 – 31:20
• Failed Show Experiments: 32:26 – 33:18
• Inclusion of Women Players: 33:29 – 34:32
• Money Mindset, Frugality, and Pay Structure: 34:41 – 39:16
• Generosity (Fans/Team/Philanthropy): 41:02 – 44:13
• What’s Next & Final Wisdom: 45:04 – 47:10

Tone and Style

Lively, irreverent, warm-hearted, and deadpan-humorous throughout. George and Jesse riff on bananas, dad-bods, and personal finance myths with wit, but the core is deeply intentional: joy, service, positivity, and underdog grit.

For New Listeners

Even if you’ve never watched a Bananas game, this episode is a master class in purpose-driven entrepreneurship, scrappy innovation, and values-based leadership. Jesse’s story proves you can “win big” by putting people and joy first—without selling out. Bananas, but true.

Highly recommended segment: Jesse’s detailed story of surviving and thriving after a near-business death experience, starting at [08:32], and his passionate refusal to ever sell, at [27:35].
Don’t miss: The hilarious Banana Matcha drink review and tux talk, [14:39 – 25:12].