Savannah Bananas has been taking the country’s baseball audience by storm. It’s  no wonder they’ve become so successful. When you meet Jesse and Emily Cole, co-founders of the Savannah Bananas, you quickly realize you’re not talking to your average baseball entrepreneurs. You’re talking to two people who decided to flip the entire playbook on its head.

And then light it on fire for good measure.

In the second episode of Becoming Self Made, I sat down with Jesse and Emily to talk about how they transformed a failing minor league baseball team into a global entertainment phenomenon. What struck me most wasn’t just the scale of what they built, it was how they built it: 

Not on profit, but on people. On belief. On joy.

And on the unshakable idea that rejection isn’t a stop sign. It’s a spark.

Fans First. Always.

From day one, Jesse and Emily didn’t build around baseball; they built around fans. When everyone else was asking, “How can we make more money?” they asked, “How can we make more joy?”

They refused to raise ticket prices, even when consultants told them they were leaving money on the table. They opened up access instead of gating it. Every rule, every decision; from how players danced on the field to how the fans interacted with the game; came down to one question: Will this make people happy?

The result? A fanbase so passionate that the Savannah Bananas now sell out every game, everywhere they play, with waiting lists that would make Major League teams jealous.

The lesson for me and for every business owner I know,  is this:
Make customer delight your growth engine.
Design experiences that make people feel seen, valued, and part of something. When you do that, profit follows naturally. Passion always precedes the paycheck.

Rejection as R&D

You can’t revolutionize a sport without making a few enemies.

The Coles were booed in their own hometown. Baseball purists mocked Banana Ball as a gimmick. Consultants told them to “tone it down.”

They didn’t listen.

Instead, they treated every criticism as data. Every “no” became fuel for iteration. They tested, tweaked, and experimented in public. They didn’t wait for permission. They turned the stands into laboratories for joy, trying new rules, new formats, new ways to connect with fans.

And slowly, the results started speaking louder than the rejection ever could.

Jesse told me they even save the harshest comments as reminders that innovation often looks like insanity until it works.

The takeaway:
Treat rejection as research. It’s not a reflection of your worth; it’s feedback on your experiment. Prototype fast. Iterate publicly. You’ll be misunderstood before you’re celebrated,  and that’s okay.

Profit First… Even when there’s none

At one point, Jesse and Emily were over a million dollars in debt. They sold their house. They shared one phone charger. They lived on $30 a week for groceries.

And yet, they believed.

During that brutal stretch, they read Profit First and started applying the system to their business finances. They didn’t wait until things “got better.” They did it right in the middle of the storm.

It represented something much bigger than accounts: discipline. Control. A sense of possibility when everything else felt impossible.

That structure, combined with their relentless optimism, got them through the leanest years.

And when the Bananas finally broke through,  those habits were what allowed the growth to stick.

It’s one of the most powerful examples I’ve ever seen of how structure doesn’t limit creativity,  it protects it.

Their story reinforced a truth I’ve seen over and over again:
You can’t out-earn bad habits.
You can’t build freedom without discipline.

Building with recovery in mind

Here’s something I love about Jesse and Emily’s approach: they intentionally schedule recovery into their business. Every midseason, the team takes a 20-day break. No games, no chaos, no guilt.

Because they know burnout isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a business risk.

That commitment to rest allows their creativity to reset. And that’s what keeps the energy, the ideas, and the fun alive.

For me, that’s a reminder we all need,  especially entrepreneurs:
Rest isn’t the reward for success. It’s the requirement.

Belief as a business strategy

The Savannah Bananas’ success wasn’t built on luck, funding, or even baseball. It was built on belief.

When nobody else could see the vision, Jesse and Emily could.
When they were told “no,” they heard “not yet.”
And when they were broke, they acted like millionaires of imagination.

They didn’t chase fans; they created believers.

As we wrapped our conversation, Jesse told me something that stuck:

“We’re not trying to build a billion-dollar company. We’re trying to create a billion fans.”

That one line sums it all up. Their business isn’t just an entertainment company, it’s a movement.

Final thoughts

I’ve interviewed a lot of entrepreneurs, but what makes Jesse and Emily’s story unforgettable is their commitment to leading with purpose and play. They remind us that business doesn’t have to be a grind. It can be a game, and one worth cheering for.

So if you’re in your own “Banana Ball moment”,  getting booed, doubted, or dismissed, keep going.

Rejection isn’t a red light. It’s the universe asking, “How bad do you want this?”

Believe in what you’re building, and back that belief with structure, discipline, and joy.

That’s how revolutions start.

You’ve got this!

-Mike

Download this episode now:  https://relayfi.com/becoming-self-made-podcast

I am so excited for you to listen and learn with us. Follow Becoming Self Made for the six-episode pilot season, with new episodes every Tuesday, and hear unfiltered stories of founders who’ve built, stumbled, reset, and succeeded.

The post Built on Belief: Jesse and Emily Cole on the Savannah Bananas’ Rise from Rejection to Entertainment Revolution – Becoming Self Made Episode 2 appeared first on Mike Michalowicz.