Jesse Risked Everything to Buy the Savannah Bananas. Now He Has a 500,000-Person Waitlist

Tonight’s Notes is all about a fantastic entrpreneur who refused to be boxed in by tradition and being boring. He “un-bored his brand” and you can too! Check out tonight free tool - The Unboring Your Brand Blueprint

In 2015, Savannah’s professional baseball team, the Sand Gnats, packed up and left for South Carolina. The city was left with a vacant Grayson Stadium and a lot of skepticism.

But Jesse and Emily Cole saw an opportunity where others saw a graveyard.

So they founded Fans First Entertainment and won the bid to bring a Coastal Plain League team to town.

But it turned out that winning the bid was the easy part.

$1 Million in Debt

On their first day of ticket sales, the new team sold exactly zero (0!) tickets.

To keep the lights on, the Coles emptied their savings and took on massive debt. When the money ran out, they sold their house and moved into a small apartment, sleeping on an air mattress just to stay in the game.

They were $1.1 million in debt and down to their last dollar.

The "Fans First" Gamble

Jesse realized he couldn't win by playing the same game as everyone else (and if you think this is a strategy you should consider, well you are right!)

He decided that if he was going to go down, he was going down swinging, and swinging his way. Jesse made a bold decision, and the big pivot. He would stop selling baseball, trust his gut, and start selling "The Show."

So Jesse Cole stripped away everything people hated about baseball and added everything they loved, no matter how absurd it seemed to the traditionalists:

• The "Banana Nanas" & "Man-anas": Instead of professional cheerleaders, he recruited a senior citizen dance team and a "dad-bod" cheer squad to perform on the dugouts.

• The 10-Foot Pitcher: He signed Dakota "Stilts" Albritton, a pitcher who actually pitches while standing on nearly 11-foot stilts.

• The "Banana Baby": He started a tradition of crowning a random baby in the stands, Lion King style, to a chorus of cheers.

• The Rule-Breaking: He eventually created "Banana Ball" - a fast-paced version of the game where games are strictly timed, hitters can't step out of the box, and - most awesomely - if a fan catches a foul ball in the stands, the batter is out.

The 500,000-Person Result

The "crazy" name, the spandex, and the air-mattress nights paid off.

The Bananas didn't just win games; they won the city. They sold out every home game in their inaugural 2016 season and went on to win the league championship that same year.

And then they became the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball.

Today, the Bananas have more social media followers than the New York Yankees and the official MLB account.

Just this year, they played in front of 80,000 people at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium.

And yes, they now have a 500,000-person waitlist for a ticket. Why? Because they are a business that refuses to be boring.

Jesse Cole didn't just build a successful baseball team. He proved that when you are down to your last dollar, the safest bet you can make is to be completely, unapologetically . . . you, dear entrepreneur.

The Takeaway

Jesse Cole was down to his last dollar when he decided to go all-in on a "ridiculous" name and a yellow suit. He stopped trying to fit in and started trying to stand out. Maybe, just maybe, you too don't need to compete with your rivals on their terms. If everyone else is playing it safe, wear your version of a yellow tuxedo.

Steal This Strategy

🛠️ Tonight’s Notes Free Tool — The "Un-Boring Your Brand" Blueprint Our exclusive guide to finding your “Yellow Tuxedo.” Use this audit to strip the "boring" out of your business and start winning the attention war.

📖 Book — Fans First by Jesse Cole Jesse breaks down exactly how he turned a $1.1 million debt into a global phenomenon.

📰 Article — The Savannah Bananas Story (Wikipedia) The full, factual timeline of the team's rise from 2016 to the World Tour.

🎙️ Podcast — The Complete History and Strategy of the Bananas A deep-dive interview with Jesse Cole about the air-mattress days and the principles of "Fans First" innovation.

About Steve Strauss

Ready to create that digital product but need some help? Steve Strauss has written 18 books and sold countless digital products. He’s been in the digital product game for years and now is helping folks just like you create courses, workbooks, journals, templates, and more. get the help you need and book a free consult with Steve - contact him at [email protected]