Jesse and Emily Cole, Co-Founders of The Savannah Bananas, have built one of the most inspiring success stories in sports and business.
In this episode of Becoming Self Made, host Mike Michalowicz sits down with Jesse and Emily to uncover how they turned a struggling baseball team into a global entertainment phenomenon, one built not on profit, but on fans. From embracing rejection as their greatest teacher to creating a company culture rooted in joy, creativity, and community, the Coles share the powerful lessons that fueled their journey to one of the most successful teams in baseball, regardless of the league.
You’ll hear how the Savannah Bananas broke every rule in traditional baseball, the impact of applying Mike’s Book Profit First during their lowest moment, and the personal sacrifices behind Jesse and Emily balancing business, purpose, and family.
Jesse and Emily Cole, Co-Founders of The Savannah Bananas, have built one of the most inspiring success stories in sports and business.In this episode of Becoming Self Made, host Mike Michalowicz sits down with Jesse and Emily to uncover how they turned a struggling baseball team into a global entertainment phenomenon, one built not on profit, but on fans. From embracing rejection as their greatest teacher to creating a company culture rooted in joy, creativity, and community, the Coles share the powerful lessons that fueled their journey to one of the most successful teams in baseball, regardless of the league.You’ll hear how the Savannah Bananas broke every rule in traditional baseball, the impact of applying Mike’s Book Profit First during their lowest moment, and ...
Ep. 2November 11, 2025
Jesse and Emily Cole, Co-Founders of The Savannah Bananas, have built one of the most inspiring success stories in sports and business.
In this episode of Becoming Self Made, host Mike Michalowicz sits down with Jesse and Emily to uncover how they turned a struggling baseball team into a global entertainment phenomenon, one built not on profit, but on fans. From embracing rejection as their greatest teacher to creating a company culture rooted in joy, creativity, and community, the Coles share the powerful lessons that fueled their journey to one of the most successful teams in baseball, regardless of the league.
You’ll hear how the Savannah Bananas broke every rule in traditional baseball, the impact of applying Mike’s Book Profit First during their lowest moment, and the personal sacrifices behind Jesse and Emily balancing business, purpose, and family.
Jesse and Emily Cole, Co-Founders of The Savannah Bananas, have built one of the most inspiring success stories in sports and business.In this episode of Becoming Self Made, host Mike Michalowicz ...
Put customers at the center: The Coles built their business around fans—not profit. They refused to raise prices or gate access, even when advised to. Every decision—tickets, content, even rules—was made to deliver joy and connection. That customer obsession created a truly beloved franchise.
Lesson: Make customer delight your growth engine. Design products and experiences that make people feel seen, valued, and part of something—profits follow the passion.
Turn rejection into R&D: Booed in their own town, advised by consultants to avoid Banana Ball, and dismissed by baseball traditionalists, they kept going—testing new rules, venues, and formats until the experience proved itself. They even save the “this is a fad” comments as fuel.
Lesson: Treat criticism as data. Prototype fast, show (don’t sell), and accept being misunderstood while you iterate in public.
Endure with disciplined money: In the lean years, Emily and Jesse pushed through with one phone charger, $30/week for meals, and Profit First to survive seven-figure debt. Their “one more day” mantra and built-in recovery (e.g., midseason 20-day break) to prevent burnout were keys to their resilience.
Lesson: Live below your means and schedule recovery like revenue—durable habits extend your runway when belief is all you’ve got.
This is an AI generated transcript. Please excuse any spelling errors.
Jesse Cole (00:00):Some people are motivated by money, revenue, sales, profits. That's never been our motivation. I don't want to be a billion dollar company. We're on a quest to create a billion ...
I don't want to be a billion dollar company. We're on a quest to create a billion fans.”
Jesse and Emily Cole, The Savannah Bananas
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