Podcast Summary: "Burn the Boring" — Savannah Bananas Co-Founders Jesse & Emily Cole

The Best One Yet | Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell
Date: December 19, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively, illuminating interview, Jack and Nick sit down with Jesse and Emily Cole—the charismatic husband-and-wife co-founders of the Savannah Bananas—to explore how they've revolutionized baseball by “burning the boring.” The episode dives into their anti-traditional, fan-obsessed business model, their iterative approach to “banana ball,” creative failures and bold risks, and the powerful culture behind one of the fastest-growing sports franchises in America. Equal parts business case study, couple’s therapy, and masterclass in joy-driven disruption, this is an episode about challenging the status quo and leading with heart.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “Meet Cute” and Origin Story

• Both Jesse and Emily were veterans of the baseball industry prior to meeting—Emily with Ripken Baseball and Jesse as a 23-year-old general manager.
• Their meeting: Emily’s boss attended Jesse’s conference, told her “I just met the guy you’re going to marry” ([02:53]).
• Began as professional contacts, became partners in “dreaming and doing” after connecting at a minor league promo seminar in 2011 ([03:46]).

Notable Quote:

“He was doing things like hosting grandma beauty pageants and having flatulence fun night... very odd in the industry. But I was intrigued.” —Emily Cole ([02:58])

2. Building a Viral, Unconventional Business

• The Bananas went from a debt-ridden startup (sold their house to make payroll) to a $100M phenomenon with a million-person ticket waitlist ([00:53]).
• Jesse and Emily own 100% of the business—no outside investors, no venture backing ([07:14]).
• Anti-conventional financial focus: rather than maximization, all energy goes into fan experience and in-house operations, from merchandise to ticketing ([06:13]).

Notable Quote:

“We don’t even look at the bank accounts. We know we’re very healthy... but we also know that we invest very heavily. We do everything in-house.” —Jesse Cole ([06:13])

• Their “Anti-Business Model”:
  • No in-park advertising ([09:47])
  • All-inclusive ticket pricing (includes food and drinks; no $14 hot dogs)
  • Games broadcast for free on YouTube
  • No hidden ticket fees; Bananas pay the sales tax
  • The focus: “Fans first,” even if it means leaving tens of millions in potential revenue on the table ([10:20], [11:03])

3. Fans First: Saying No to Short-Term Profits

• Deliberately say no to lucrative sponsorships to keep the product pure for families.
• The trust and loyalty built with fans generates growth via word of mouth and return visits ([11:51]).
• The “walk-off” example: Instead of typical baseball walks, a fan who catches a foul ball in the stands records an out ([01:17]).

Notable Quotes:

“Our North Star is fans first... We focus on the long-term fan over short term profits.” —Emily Cole ([10:20])

“You can’t serve 3.2 million fans by focusing on TV deals or sponsorships. Focus on the customers, serve them, and everything else takes care of itself.” —Jesse Cole ([11:40])

4. Burning the Boring: Creating Banana Ball

• Systematically dissected every “boring” part of baseball to either eliminate or reinvent it ([14:41]).
  • No stepping out of the box, no mound visits, no walks (when walk happens, batter can keep running bases as far as possible; defense must throw to all nine players to stop him) ([15:44], [17:57]).
  • Games are two hours maximum; scoring is like match-play golf—each inning is a point, reducing the impact of blowouts ([16:35], [18:13]).
  • No bunting (“Bunting sucks. If you bunt, you’re thrown out of the game.” —Jesse Cole [16:02])
• Constant show: entertainment starts five hours before first pitch and goes well after final out ([13:21]).

Notable Moment:

“No one goes to a great movie and leaves in the middle. But at baseball, people leave all the time. So you make it so fans want more.” —Jesse Cole ([16:38])

5. Relentless Iteration: Innovation + Failure

• Innovation only comes through trying; dozens of “failed” promotions every season, like the Human Pinata, horsehead race, and a 9am beer festival that drew 27 die-hard fans ([20:36], [21:26], [22:00]).
• Emphasis on a “testing, learning, doing” culture—new bits, dances, or promotions every single game ([22:48]).

Notable Quote:

“Most teams do fireworks every Friday and bobblehead giveaways. It’s so easy to do the same thing. We are willing to fail every night because we know we’ll learn faster.” —Jesse Cole ([22:48])

6. The Formula for Fandom (and Fun)

Jesse’s “formula for fandom”—actionable steps for any company:

1. Eliminate friction (make things easier for fans/customers)
2. Entertain always
3. Experiment constantly
4. Engage deeply (do for the one what you wish you could do for many)
5. Empower action (let your team try and fail) ([23:26])

“Your job is to eliminate the friction. Then entertain always, experiment constantly, engage deeply… That’s how you create fans.” —Jesse Cole ([23:26])

7. Doing the Opposite of Normal

• Inspired by mentor Mike Veeck’s “Innovation on Demand”: whatever’s normal, do the opposite ([26:33]).
• Bananas take days off in July and don’t schedule games on Mon/Tue/Wed, putting people first, just like Chick-fil-A's Sunday closure ([26:11]).
• Companies need “an attention plan, not a marketing plan” ([29:17]).

Notable Quote:

“No one gets excited about normal. No one comes home and says, ‘I met the most normal person today.’” —Jesse Cole ([29:17])

8. The Social Media “Reps” Philosophy

• Bananas are masters of attention: over 4 million on the ticket waitlist, 15 million social followers (more than the Yankees + Dodgers + Red Sox combined) ([01:05], [11:51]).
• The secret: relentless experimentation, constant posting, and zero fear of flop content ([33:03]).
• Failure is ignored, only the memorable content is remembered.

“Pete Rose had the most hits… because he had 2,000 more at-bats than anyone else. Maybe you’re not posting enough.” —Jesse Cole ([33:15])

9. Metrics vs. Magic: Decisions by Gut, Not Just Graphs

• The Coles don’t obsess over charts or dashboards: intuition and “heart” win, enabled by independence from outside investors ([35:06]).
• Big bets are made on ideas that “feel right” and seem fun.
• What-if? approach is used for bold initiatives (e.g. selling out a cruise, staging a game at a massive football stadium) ([36:17], [36:31]).

“Would it be cool to do a cruise? Would it be cool to play on the beach? If we think it’d be cool, we try it. You learn by doing.” —Jesse Cole ([37:30])

10. The Creative Process: “Banana Soup”

• Inspiration drawn from a “Banana Soup” of influences: Disney, Steve Jobs, Harlem Globetrotters, SNL, Grateful Dead ([38:08]).
• Systematic creation: Jesse starts every morning reading, writing, and ideating before checking email or notifications ([38:26], [39:04]).
• Everyone contributes ideas: players, staff, creative team—there’s a culture of “plussing the experience” after Walt Disney’s philosophy ([39:25], [40:14], [40:22]).

11. No Desire to Be MLB; Focus is on Experience, Not Size

• Scaling isn’t about outcompeting MLB, it’s about serving more fans with a unique experience ([41:38]).
• Expansion is focused but driven by fan demand, not outside pressure ([44:32], [50:46]).

12. Long-Term, Not a Fad: Proving Staying Power

• Fan obsession, experiential differentiation, and meaning over mere fun distinguish Bananas from flavor-of-the-month “fad” sports ([43:15], [44:32]).
• Emotional stories (like supporting a bereaved family) are central; do the things that “don’t scale” ([46:48]).

Notable Story:

“A family lost their mom. The last gift was coming to a Bananas game. We turned that night into something unforgettable for them.” —Jesse Cole ([48:46])

13. Crystal Clear Takeaways and Philosophy

• Focus: Be “impatient in how much you give to others, patient in what you want for yourself.” ([54:10])
• The magic is in relentless, passionate service—by doing things others won’t, you can do what you never imagined ([54:43]).
• IPO? Fan equity? Not in the plans: maintaining simplicity, vision, and independence ([53:18]).

Notable Quotes & Key Moments

• “What’s normal? Do the opposite.” —Jesse Cole ([26:33])
• “No one gets excited about normal.” —Jesse Cole ([29:16])
• “There is no innovation without iteration.” —Nick paraphrasing Jesse ([20:02])
• “If you get excited about it, try it. You learn by doing.” —Jesse Cole ([36:41])
• “Plussing—the show is never complete.” —Jesse Cole on Walt Disney ([40:22])
• “If we have fun in rehearsal, it’s going in the script.” —Emily Cole ([25:16])
• “We are extremely impatient in going above and beyond for our fans, and patient in what we want for ourselves.” —Jesse Cole ([54:10])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Meet Cute & Founding Story: [02:05] – [03:46]
• The Anti-Business Model: [06:13] – [11:40]
• Burning the Boring / Banana Ball Rule Changes: [14:41] – [18:30]
• Failures & Iteration: [20:36] – [22:48]
• Formula for Fandom: [23:26]
• Doing the Opposite: [26:11] – [29:17]
• Social Media & Experimentation: [33:03]
• Metrics vs. Magic: [35:06]
• Creative Process: [38:26] – [40:22]
• On Being a Trend, Not a Fad: [43:15] – [44:32]
• Emotional, Deeper “Anti-Fad” Examples: [46:48] – [49:42]
• Focus & Rejecting “Bananas for All Sports” Expansion: [50:39] – [51:46]
• Big Takeaways from Jesse & Emily: [53:34] – [54:43]

Final Takeaways from Jesse & Emily Cole

• Emily: “It’s just caring about people… Take away friction, walk in your fans’ shoes, put the fans first, and try to entertain them. That’s our North Star.” ([53:34])
• Jesse: “Be patient in what you want for yourself, impatient in how much you give to others… When you do what others won’t do, you’ll be able to do things you never imagined.” ([54:10])

Rapid-Fire Section Highlights

• Best brand (besides Bananas): Disney ([55:40])
• Best stadium: Fenway Park ([56:18])
• Business book: The Ideal Team Player - Patrick Lencioni (Emily, [56:37]); Good to Great - Jim Collins (Jesse, [56:54])
• If you were a stock ticker symbol: FANS (Jesse, [57:03]); NANA (Emily, [57:04])
• Best restaurant in Savannah: Corleone’s; “Coach’s Corner, that’s where it started” ([57:11]–[57:23])

In Short

The Savannah Bananas—and Jesse & Emily Cole—demonstrate what’s possible in business (and sport) when you put fans first, burn the boring, iterate relentlessly, and aren’t afraid to do the opposite of normal. Their story is a vibrant blueprint for building experience-driven brands that endure, surprise, and scale joy.