The views, information, or opinions expressed during this show are solely those of the participants involved and do not necessarily represent those of SouthState Bank and its employees.
SouthState Bank, N.A. – Member FDIC
In Case You Missed It: Why Attention Beats Marketing with Jesse Cole, Owner of the Savannah Bananas Baseball Team
This week we are throwing it back to one of our favorite episodes featuring Jesse Cole. Jesse is the founder of Fans First Entertainment and owner of the Savannah Bananas. The Bananas have sold out every game since their first season and have a waitlist for tickets in the thousands. The team has built a social media following in the millions including becoming known as TikTok’s favorite team with over 2 million followers. Jesse has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, MSNBC, ESPN, HBO Real Sports and once at his son’s show and tell. He is the author of two best selling books, Find Your Yellow Tux and Fans First. He’s been featured on over 1000 podcasts and delivers keynote speeches all over the world sharing the Fans First experience.
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Recent Episodes
10/27/25
Driving Deposit Growth with Gwen Wertz from Provident Bank
In this episode, Chris Nichols sits down with Gwen Wertz, SVP of Retail Banking at Provident Bank, to discuss how her team drives deposit growth and manages funding costs in a competitive environment. Gwen shares practical insights from her experience leading deposit strategy meetings, building a culture of collaboration, and balancing acquisition with retention. The…
10/20/25
Navigating the New Frontier of Stablecoin with Alex Johnson
Today, Chris Nichols sits down with Alex Johnson, author of popular newsletter Fintech Takes. They discuss the importance of Stablecoin as it’s related to the banking industry and why community banks should pay attention to it. The views, information, or opinions expressed during this show are solely those of the participants involved and do not…
10/13/25
Unlocking Customer Profitability with Mac Thompson
Today we’re joined by Mac Thompson, founder and CEO of White Clay, a company helping banks use data to drive smarter, more profitable decisions. We talk about whether banking is getting easier or harder, what the data says about the current state of the industry, and how banks can sell more profitable products to more…
10/06/25
What Banks Can Learn About Payments from India’s UPI
Today Chris Nichols sit down with Subodh Mathur to talk about his work with India’s UPI system and what American banks can learn. The views, information, or opinions expressed during this show are solely those of the participants involved and do not necessarily represent those of SouthState Bank and its employees. SouthState Bank, N.A. –…
09/29/25
Stop Pitching, Start Connecting: How Community Banks Can Lead with Connection with J.R. Lay
In this episode, Caleb sits down with J.R. Lay—entrepreneur, bestselling author, and founder of Level Up Business—to explore how community banks can deepen relationships and drive growth through authentic communication. They discuss the power of personal branding, the role of video and content in building trust, and why helping first is the key to long-term…
09/22/25
The Fed Lowers Rates: What it Means for the Economy and Your Bank
Today Tom Fitzgerald sits down with Brian Barker, Chief Investment Officer here at SouthState Bank. They talk about the recent rate cut by the Fed and what it means for the economy and community banks. REGISTER FOR THE ELEVATE BANKING FORUM The views, information, or opinions expressed during this show are solely those of…