Jesse Cole - Owner of the Savannah Bananas wears his signature color - bright yellow, the color of a banana. His wild marketing and business ideas paid off and he focuses on fans first.
What Small Businesses Can Learn About Putting People First in the Age of AI Everything
I was sitting in a room full of small business owners at a recent industry conference when a man in a bright yellow tuxedo stepped onto the stage. That man was Jesse Cole, the owner of the Savannah Bananas baseball team—and within five minutes, he had everyone in the room rethinking what it means to run a successful business.
You may have heard of the Savannah Bananas. If not, here’s the quick version: it’s a baseball team that nobody wanted… until Jesse and his team made the radical decision to build an organization that puts “Fans First.” They ditched tradition, ignored what was “normal,” and focused instead on giving fans an experience they’d never forget. Now, they have sold-out crowds, millions of followers, and an army of loyal fans.
Why am I talking about this on a business technology blog?
Because Jesse’s message was crystal clear: putting people first never goes out of style. And in a world where even your microwave can be powered by AI, that lesson couldn’t be more relevant.
What the Savannah Bananas Got Right
Jesse Cole didn’t build a baseball team the way experts said he should. He went against every logical business rule in the book. He named the team after a fruit. He dressed the players in yellow. He let fans vote on who would pitch. The umpires dance. The rules are different. Nothing about it makes sense, until you see the joy on the faces of the crowds in the stands.
Everything they do is guided by a simple philosophy: Fans First. They radically listen to their audience. They remove barriers. They surprise and delight. They put humans, not spreadsheets, at the center of every decision.
And the result? They’ve created one of the most successful sports entertainment brands in the country, with zero reliance on traditional advertising or mass media. Just pure, unforgettable human experience.
Why That Resonates Now
We’re living in the age of “AI everything.” You can talk to a chatbot to schedule a dentist appointment. Your fridge can recommend recipes. There’s software to write your emails, respond to your customers, and automate your inbox.
There’s nothing wrong with that—AI has its place. But here’s the catch:
AI would’ve never told Jesse Cole to buy a failing baseball team and name it after fruit.
AI wouldn’t have said, “Let’s put players in kilts and have dancing grandmas lead the crowd.” AI would’ve said, “Stick to the playbook. Follow the data. Be efficient.”
But great businesses aren’t built on efficiency alone. They’re built on relationships, personality, surprise, and service.
Why We Still Believe in Old-Fashioned Customer Service
At Computerease, we serve small and midsize businesses throughout Illinois and Missouri. Our clients are smart, resourceful, and growth-minded. They also don’t have time to waste. They need real answers, fast support, and trustworthy advice. That’s why we’ve never automated away the personal touch.
We still believe in picking up the phone.
We still believe in showing up.
We still believe in listening—really listening—to what our clients need.
People call this “old-fashioned” customer service. We just call it doing the right thing.
While we stay on top of the latest in AI tools, cybersecurity, and IT systems, we never lose sight of who we’re serving: real people running real businesses.
Balancing Innovation and Human Connection
Let me be clear: I’m not anti-AI. In fact, we see AI as a valuable tool that can enhance productivity, improve business decision-making, and free up time for building a business. When used with intention, AI allows small and medium businesses to operate more efficiently, without losing the personal touch that truly sets them apart.
But here’s what AI can’t do:
- It can’t ask a follow-up question with genuine curiosity.
- It can’t offer reassurance in a tough moment.
- It can’t understand the nuance of a long-standing relationship.
That’s why we don’t use AI to replace our team—we use it to support them. We use technology to eliminate the busy work, so our people can focus on what they do best: showing up for our clients with clarity, care, and commitment.
AI Can’t Replace Great Service
What stuck with me the most from Jesse’s talk wasn’t the yellow tuxedo or the dancing umpires. It was this idea: No one remembers “good enough.” They remember “unforgettable.” In business, unforgettable comes from the restaurant that remembers your name, the accountant who patiently walks you through a confusing form, or the company that picks up the phone when no one else will. It’s about being treated like a person, not a number.
As technology continues to streamline and scale so many areas of business, it’s easy to overlook the one thing clients value most: real human connection. If you’ve ever yelled “speak to a representative!” into a phone tree or had a chatbot completely miss the mark, you already know what I mean. That’s why, at Computerease, no matter how advanced our tools get, we’ll always have a real live person answering the phone 24/7/365. It’s non-negotiable.
No matter how advanced technology and AI become, the businesses that succeed won’t be the ones with the flashiest tools. They’ll be the ones that remember who they’re serving because unforgettable service starts with people first.
