How Jesse Cole Turned Baseball Into a Billion Dollar Show

He slept in his socks on a garage floor because it was too filthy to touch. That was Jesse Cole eight years ago, broke, sleeping on an air mattress, betting everything on a wooden bat baseball team nobody wanted. Jesse is the founder of Fans First Entertainment and the man behind the Savannah Bananas, the "Find Your Yellow Tux" author who turned a dying college summer league into a movement that now plays in front of millions. He explains the moment he realized baseball itself was broken and why he studies Walt Disney more than any business book. He also opens up about the night his wife got a text from a birth mother on Mother's Day that changed their family forever. You'll hear how a bat trickster became a starting first baseman and how a Broadway A-lister ended up pitching in front of 80,000 fans. Jesse still signs autographs until the very last fan leaves, every single night. This conversation will change how you think about customers versus fans, and about what it actually costs to build something the world has never seen before. Find Your Yellow Tux Jesse's Instagram Jesse's books: Banana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas Fans First: Change The Game, Break the Rules & Create an Unforgettable Experience Find Your Yellow Tux: How to Be Successful by Standing Out In this episode you will: Discover why "whatever's normal, do the exact opposite" became the founding rule behind Banana Ball Learn how studying Walt Disney's obsession with "plussing the show" turned a dying league into a movement Hear the Mother's Day text that changed Jesse and Emily's family forever Understand why Jesse believes fans are different from customers, and why that distinction changes everything Explore the mindset shift required to go from 4,000 fans a night to 100,000 For more information go to https://lewishowes.com/1963 More SOG episodes we think you’ll love! Get More From Lewis! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.