Podcast Summary: Mick Unplugged

Episode: Fans First: How Jesse Cole Turned Baseball Into An Experience
Host: Mick Hunt
Guest: Jesse Cole
Release Date: January 1, 2026

Overview

This episode of "Mick Unplugged" features Jesse Cole, founder of the Savannah Bananas and creator of 'Banana Ball'. The conversation dives into Cole’s unconventional approach to business, leadership, and fan engagement—demonstrating how prioritizing joy, creativity, and “because” over traditional norms can transform industries, generate superfans, and create businesses that people love. Mick Hunt steers the discussion through leadership principles, practical frameworks, personal stories, and moments of vulnerability, all while highlighting how Cole has built a brand centered on experience, gratitude, and standing out by being remarkable.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Discovering Your “Because” (01:21–04:46)

• Jesse’s “Because”: Jesse describes how his upbringing as an only child, with divorced parents and time spent with his hardworking father, shaped his core desire—to feel loved and to be part of something that brings people joy and connection.

  “When I think about [my] because, it's bringing the world together filled with joy, and just having the time of our life doing it.” — Jesse Cole (03:12)

• Imagination From Isolation: Jesse credits his childhood creativity and his need to make the most of every moment with people for fueling his energetic, inclusive style.

  “As an only child...I was spirited to try to make the most of every moment when I had a chance to be around somebody.” — Jesse Cole (04:35)

The Power of Unreasonableness & Doing the Uncommon (04:46–10:14)

• Normal Gets Normal Results: Jesse shares how mediocrity is a result of doing what everyone else does and recounts how, as a 23-year-old GM, he turned around a failing baseball team by making everything about the fan experience unpredictable and memorable.

  “If you do what everyone else is gonna do, you're gonna get the same results as everyone else.” — Jesse Cole (05:38) “No one gets excited about normal. No one gets excited about professional. They get excited about memorable. They get excited about remarkable.” — Jesse Cole (07:22)

• Creating “You Wouldn’t Believe” Moments: Jesse’s framework involves mapping every friction point in the customer journey and flipping it—making the ordinary remarkable, aiming for reactions like, “You wouldn’t believe what they did today.”

• Idea Muscle: Daily brainstorming is key—flexing the “idea muscle” keeps innovation alive and the experience fresh.

Values-Driven Decision Making: The $6 Million Story (13:51–16:28)

• Standing By Principles: When an email error accidentally offered tickets to 44,000 fans instead of 4,000, Jesse’s team decided to honor all the requests, incurring a $6 million loss—a testament to their “Fans First” philosophy.

  “Do you stand by your values? Six million dollar loss...But it's fans first. And that's what we're going to do and that's how we're going to make those decisions.” — Jesse Cole (16:18)

• Go the Extra Mile: They even offered to buy back unused free tickets to serve waiting fans—highlighting the importance of living your organization’s values daily, especially when it’s hard.

The Central Role of Storytelling (16:28–18:40)

• Internal First: Storytelling is focused on team members first, using real examples of “fans first” moments to anchor values and culture.

  “Our goal is just to entertain [our fans]. It’s to bring joy, it’s to bring fun…mostly it’s who we are, what we stand for internally with our team first.” — Jesse Cole (18:20)

• Repetition Breeds Culture: Stories are shared across the organization multiple times, at every tour stop, to reinforce what the team stands for.

Micro-Reinvention & Continuous Improvement (18:40–22:08)

• Micro-Reinvention: Jesse promotes continual, incremental improvements—“micro-reinventions”—rather than total overhauls.

  “What can you be the best in the world at?” — Jesse Cole (19:36)

• Fan-Centric Innovation: Innovations happen by constantly observing fan behavior (through video, feedback, etc.) and refining every touchpoint—shortening the game, eliminating boring moments, fighting ticketing scams, and more.

Embracing Setbacks & Messy Beginnings (22:08–25:56)

• Messy, Hard Work: Initial failures included running out of money, sleeping on an air bed, and operational chaos. Jesse emphasizes that greatness comes from pushing through setbacks (“the messy”) and not giving up.

  “The only way you can be great is if you’re willing to get through the messy to get to the great.” — Jesse Cole (24:24)

• Learning by Doing: Real change requires direct action, trying, failing, and rapidly improving—even when resources are tight and mistakes are public.

Surrounding Yourself with Inspirational Models (24:48–25:56)

• Modeling After Giants: Jesse keeps “company” with his role models (Walt Disney, P.T. Barnum, Steve Jobs, etc.), drawing inspiration from their stories of challenge and boldness to fuel his own journey.

  “When I read about Walt Disney...‘It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.’” — Jesse Cole (25:06)

• Personal Energy: Jesse organizes his days around what gives him energy (creative work, growth, sharing)—and encourages others to do the same.

Superfans, Gratitude, and Contagious Appreciation (25:56–28:25)

• Small Radical Shifts: Jesse suggests that business leaders start by spreading gratitude—personally thanking customers, making videos, or writing notes. This unscalable practice “scales joy” and builds loyalty fast.

  “Spread gratitude—find a way to put it into your schedule every day, thank people for what they do. And you’ll be amazed at what comes back to you.” — Jesse Cole (26:50)

Leadership, Teaching, and Getting Reps In (28:25–30:08)

• Leaders Are Repeaters and Teachers: Jesse highlights the importance of sharing your journey, learning publicly, and getting practice in leadership and communication by teaching others.

  “Great leaders are repeaters, and great leaders are teachers.” — Jesse Cole (29:04)

• Learning Through Doing: Jesse relates how volunteering for podcasts and speaking opportunities, regardless of audience size, has made him a better leader and communicator.

Practical Applications, Recent Projects, and Where to Find Jesse (30:08–32:31)

• Relentless Creativity: Jesse remains obsessed with inventing shows, new teams, and experiences no one has ever seen.
• Engagement with the Community: Accessible via online platforms and always sharing the journey.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 03:12 | Jesse Cole | "When I think about [my] because, it’s bringing the world together filled with joy, and just having the time of our life doing it." | | 07:22 | Jesse Cole | "No one gets excited about normal. No one gets excited about professional. They get excited about memorable. They get excited about remarkable." | | 13:51 | Jesse Cole | "We said, we’re going to take care of all these people with tickets for this coming tour. What does that equal? $6 million loss for the company, over 100,000 plus tickets that we took care of for people." | | 16:18 | Jesse Cole | "But it’s fans first. And that’s what we’re going to do and that’s how we’re going to make those decisions." | | 24:24 | Jesse Cole | "The only way you can be great is if you’re willing to get through the messy to get to the great." | | 26:50 | Jesse Cole | "Spread gratitude—find a way to put it into your schedule every day, thank people for what they do. And you’ll be amazed at what comes back to you." | | 29:04 | Jesse Cole | "Great leaders are repeaters, and great leaders are teachers." |

Rapid-Fire Questions (32:50–35:58)

• How many yellow tuxes do you have?
  “I have nine yellow tuxes.” — Jesse Cole (33:00)

• Favorite Banana Ball moment?
  “First ever, Clemson Football Stadium, 80,000 plus people... putting on a huge halftime show... really special.” — Jesse Cole (33:11)

• Biggest lesson failure taught you?
  “It's not the failure, it's how you respond to it. Treat failure as discovery.” — Jesse Cole (34:08)

• Creativity habit?
  “Every single morning I run and I listen to podcasts... then I start writing ideas and journaling. I do not miss a day.” — Jesse Cole (34:36)

• Message for your life's story?
  “Find what it is that makes you stand out and amplify it... If you’re doing what lights you up... you can change the world.” — Jesse Cole (35:20)

Key Takeaways & Actionable Advice

• Make Joy and Connection Central: Build experiences that unite people and create authentic joy—not just for customers but also for your team.
• Challenge the Norms: Identify every standard practice in your industry and dare to do the opposite—create “you wouldn’t believe” moments.
• Live Your Values (Even When Costly): Stand by your core principles, even when it means financial loss or inconvenience.
• Tell & Retell Stories: Use storytelling repeatedly to instill culture and keep values alive—especially for your own team.
• Find Your Energy & Model Greatness: Structure your day around what energizes you, and seek inspiration from the boldest minds.
• Start with Gratitude: Thanking people sincerely is a simple, radical act—all leaders can implement this immediately.
• Teach and Repeat: Leadership is about continually sharing, teaching, and learning aloud—get your reps in, regardless of audience.

Where to Find Jesse Cole

• Website: findyouryellowtux.com
• Social: Active on Instagram, LinkedIn, and other major platforms
• Talks & Books: Keynote speaker, author, and presence at major events—reach out directly, his contact is widely available.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:21 – Jesse’s “Because” & early influences
• 04:46 – Why normal gets normal results & doing the unreasonable
• 10:14 – Team creativity and fan-first culture
• 13:51 – $6 Million ticketing error story: living your values
• 16:28 – Storytelling’s role in culture and connection
• 18:40 – Micro-reinvention & invention in fan experience
• 22:08 – Overcoming setbacks: from airbeds to sellouts
• 25:56 – How to create superfans: gratitude and unscalable acts
• 28:25 – Mentorship, coaching, and learning by teaching
• 32:50 – Quick fire questions

Final Thought:
This episode embodies modern, values-based leadership. Jesse Cole is a living example that business can be bold, fun, and wildly rewarding—when you lead with your “because,” bend the rules, and keep fans (and gratitude) at the heart of everything.