Marjorie Dudley

What Jesse Cole & the Savannah Bananas Teach Us About Success, Persistence, and Doing Work That Actually Works

Most people love big ideas. Very few people love the part where the idea doesn’t work—yet.

That’s why the story of Jesse Cole and the Savannah Bananas matters so much. Not because it’s flashy (though it is), and not because it went viral (eventually), but because it’s a masterclass in persistence, follow-through, and staying committed when your heart believes but the evidence still says, “What the heck are you doing here?”

Dream Bigger Than What Makes Sense

Jesse Cole didn’t set out to build a successful minor league baseball team. He set out to build the most entertaining experience in sports.

That distinction matters.

Most people dream just big enough to be acceptable, realistic, and explainable. Jesse dreamed big enough that it sounded ridiculous. Banana-yellow suits. Players dancing. Fans involved in the game. No bunts. No walks. No mound visits. No boredom.

Big dreams don’t gain traction because they’re safe. They gain traction because they’re different enough to be remembered.

Persistence Is Doing the Same Thing… When No One Is Applauding

Before sellout crowds, there were empty seats.
Before waitlists, there were comped tickets.
Before ESPN clips, there were people who didn’t “get it.”

Here’s the part most people skip in the highlight reel: Jesse persevered through innumerable mountainous obstacles.

Persistence isn’t sticking with something when it’s working. Anyone can do that. Persistence is showing up when:

Attendance is flat.
Revenue is tight.
Feedback is mixed.
Your confidence is shaky.

Most people pivot too early. They mistake slow progress for failure. The Bananas didn’t win because they changed direction every time it got hard—they won because they kept clarifying and strengthening the same bold vision.

Follow Through When It’s Boring, Awkward, or Not Paying Off Yet

The Bananas didn’t reinvent baseball overnight. They tested. Tweaked. Adjusted. And then doubled down.

This is where most good ideas die—not because they’re bad, but because the follow-through isn’t glamorous. It’s repetitive. It’s awkward. It’s doing the same thing again with slightly more clarity and slightly better execution.

Success often looks like:

Repeating what you said you’d do.
Honoring commitments when enthusiasm fades.
Improving 1% at a time while results lag behind effort.

That’s not exciting. But it works.

Reduce Friction for the Customer—Relentlessly

One of the most powerful lessons from the Bananas is how obsessively they reduce friction for the fan.

Tickets are affordable.
Games are fast.
Rules are simple.
The experience is designed for joy, not confusion.

They asked a question most businesses never slow down to ask:
“What makes this harder than it needs to be?”

Then they eliminated it.

Complexity impresses insiders. Simplicity wins customers.

Have Fun or Burn Out

Fun isn’t a side effect of success for the Bananas. It’s the strategy.

Joy is magnetic. Energy spreads. Playfulness disarms skepticism. When people see a team having fun on purpose, they lean in instead of tuning out.

Most professionals think fun has to be earned after success. The Bananas flipped that script. They used fun as the fuel to survive the hard years.

Reinvention Isn’t About Change—It’s About Commitment

The Bananas didn’t abandon baseball. They committed to making it better.

Reinvention doesn’t mean throwing everything out. It means being brave enough to question traditions that no longer serve the outcome you want.

That takes courage. And patience. And a willingness to look foolish before you look brilliant.

The Real Lesson

The Savannah Bananas aren’t a story about baseball. They’re a story about:

Staying the course when results lag.
Trusting the process when it feels lonely.
Doing the work when it’s not glamorous.
Refining instead of quitting.
Choosing joy instead of playing it safe.

Those aren’t just a business lessons. Those are life lessons.

Because the people who win aren’t the ones with the best ideas—they’re the ones who keep going long enough for their ideas to finally work.

So go bananas. 🍌 And, stay relentless.