Masters of Scale: Always be the challenger, with Savannah Bananas founder Jesse Cole
Summary
Host Jeff Furman interviews Jesse Cole, founder of the Savannah Bananas, who discusses scaling his circus-style baseball league by prioritizing fan joy over traditional revenue metrics. Cole shares how he rebuilt his career after injury by experimenting with entertainment, embracing failure, and leveraging social media to create viral moments. The episode highlights the importance of maintaining a challenger mindset and fostering a culture of contagious enthusiasm to drive business growth.
Topics discussed
Intro: Masters of Scale Summit and Sponsor
Jesse Cole's Origin Story: From Bat Boy to Founder
Experimentation Lab: Removing the Fear of Failure
Pivoting from Baseball to Entertainment
Bootstrapping, Debt, and the First Sold-Out Show
Sponsor Break: Engine Travel Platform
Marketing via Remarkable Experiences and Social Media
Maintaining a Challenger Mindset While Scaling
Fan-First Pricing and Building Internal Infrastructure
Advice for Traditional Sports and LinkedIn
Finding Energy and Joy in Work
Outro, Credits, and Pioneers of AI Promo
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