In today’s episode, I share how reading Jesse Cole’s book Fans First, the story behind the meteoric rise of the Savannah Bananas, impacted not just how I see entertainment, but how I want to run my business.
From a struggling summer league baseball team with fewer than 100 fans in the stands, to selling out stadiums nationwide with waitlists longer than a Taylor Swift concert, the Bananas’ success is rooted in one core principle: Fans First. Every decision, hire, idea, and experiment runs through the filter of “Does this improve the fan experience?”
I unpack how that same philosophy applies to any business, whether you’re a real estate investor, a plumber, or an entrepreneur building your brand.
This isn’t about baseball. It’s about putting your customers first in a way so radical, so consistent, that profits and loyalty become inevitable.
Key Talking Points of the Episode
00:00 Introduction
01:17 JJ’s Joke of the Week
01:50 Discovering the Savannah Bananas during Covid shutdowns
03:19 Jesse Cole’s experience: A failing team, sleeping on an air mattress, and betting it all
05:33 From summer league to “Banana Ball”—creating baseball built for entertainment
07:41 My firsthand experience: a Norfolk game that entertained from start to finish
10:42 Why “organized chaos” kept kids off iPads and parents mesmerized
13:19 Discovering Jesse Cole’s book Fans First at the game
15:12 The Bahamas connection: how impactful books seem to find me on those trips
17:44 The mindset shift: how Fans First validated my own business instincts
19:42 Customers = fans: Why every decision must reduce friction and add value
21:07 Building a culture where everyone contributes ideas to serve the customer
23:52 Rejecting investors and sponsors to keep customer-first decisions pure
25:19 Why you should read Fans First—no matter your business or industry
26:03 Put your customers first, profits will follow
Quotables
“Blame is the enemy of progress. Ownership is the fuel for momentum.”
“The Savannah Bananas turned baseball into entertainment because they put fans first—and they didn’t waver.”
“Every decision has to pass one test: does this improve the fan experience? If not, scrap it.”
Links
Fans First by Jesse Cole
https://www.amazon.com/Fans-First-Change-Unforgettable-Experience/dp/154452921X
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