Update November 2024, Bucks County's Ryan Abramson: Everything I Really Need to Know About Business (or life), I Learned by Watching the Savannah Bananas

UPDATE from Bucks County's Ryan Abramson, November 2024:

Did you see the news about the the $6.2 million sale of a banana taped to wall with duct tape? Artist Maurizio Cattelan's art installation "Comedian" sold at auction at Sotheby's in New York on Wednesday, purchased by a Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur for approximately $6.2 million. (Also, he plans to eat the banana!) The final sale was roughly four times the initial estimated value, which Sotheby's had listed between $1 million and $1.5 million.

As reported in Yahoo News, "Only one person can own the viral banana duct-taped to the wall art piece, but 62 people will own a collector shirt honoring it from the Savannah Bananas. The Savannah Bananas said that they sold out of a limited-edition shirt honoring the viral art piece that sold for $6.2 million. The shirt featured the batting banana logo with a single piece of duct-tape over it and was sold out within five minutes, the Bananas said."

Savannah Bananas frontman Jesse Cole explains that "different" is exactly why the business model works. He says, "Attention beats marketing and SPEED wins!"

My entire career, the Ryan Abramson motto has been: be authentic, be positive and be different. It takes huge courage to be different. The world is set up to force us to comply with "normal." As we grow up, school cultures, work cultures, social media trends and celebrities want us to "fit in." Yet, it is the individuals who set the standard that the rest of us follow. That's right, it is the individual, not the compliant masses that change the world. Being different can be very hard. In fact, people fear the different makers.

When you push the standard, innovate, outwork the competition and challenge others to do the same, only the rare few will step up. Instead, people are more likely to try to destroy you and preserve their comfort. Even the great disrupter himself, Dave Portnoy gave some hate to the Bananas. Although as a brilliant different guy himself, he probably saw the huge reach his opinion would get (and it did!).

Clemson Baseball Goes Viral for Being Different

In November, Clemson University welcomed the Bananas to campus. The Clemson Baseball team played host to the Savannah Bananas in exhibition action in front of a capacity crowd. It was the first time ever the Bananas have faced off against a college program of any kind. As the Clemson Insider wrote, "Damn Right,' Banana Ball at Clemson a Rousing Success"

It was brilliant. By being different, taking a risk and willing to fail, the Clemson baseball team exploded on social media and has become the owner of the most coveted experience in all of college baseball.

Will more college teams follow? What we know about the 2025 schedule is that the Bananas will be playing in more MLB stadiums, NFL stadiums and to much, much larger crowds.

Why do people hate different?

People don't want you to be successful. If you are making it. If you are happy. If you are authentic. If people like you for just being you. That scares insecure people. If you are miserable, a fraud, lazy and unhappy, who are you going to target? The people you see as living the life you want. And let me tell you, when given the chance, they will stop at nothing to take you down. Preserving the happiness illusion they've created for themself will always take priority over being ethical, being moral and doing what's right.

Ryan Abramson: So what do we do to be Authentic and Different?

Overcoming people who challenge your authenticity, positivity, and sense of self requires staying grounded in your values and purpose. (Read my blog post: Update Bucks County's Ryan Abramson Authentic and Positive) Remember why being true to yourself is important, and don’t let others diminish your belief in its value. Protect your energy by setting clear boundaries and surrounding yourself with people who celebrate and support you.

Negativity almost always stems from others’ insecurities, so rise above it with grace and focus on the impact you want to make. Challenges can be opportunities to grow stronger and more resilient, so use them to deepen your commitment to your values. If needed, seek guidance from mentors or supportive communities to maintain perspective.

Stay focused on your goals and trust that your authenticity is not only a strength but also an inspiration to others. By confidently living your truth, you create a ripple effect of courage and kindness that no opposition can truly undermine.

And I live what I say: It is why I embraced the Ryan Abramson on TikTok. I was terrified of what people would think of me. I wondered what people would say when they saw me taking videos. I was afraid it would fail. Then I realized: who cares!?!

The Ryan Abramson Motto Remains: BE DIFFERENT.

People who know me, know that to change the world, you must be different. It requires the risk that people will attack you, but their house of insecurity cannot be blocked by the winds of positive change forever. Be positive. Never let a season of struggle define who you are.

So for the Ryan Abramson update, you can watch all my cheesy shorts on my Ryan Abramson YouTube channel or my Ryan Abramson TikTok channel. I am gonna keep making them. Let the haters hate. It might take hard work to be different and positive, but that's my authentic me. So let's go...time to take a video.

Original Article Here:

This past weekend, the Savannah Bananas invaded Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, selling out with over 45,000 fans packing the ballpark. In a city known for throwing snowballs at Santa and booing struggling hometown teams, somehow, someway, Banana Ball brought out the best in the City of Brotherly (and Sisterly) Love.

The concept is simple: Fans First. Entertain Always. Upon arriving at the stadium, instead of hoping to catch a glimpse of a player during batting practice, the Bananas are outside encouraging photos with fans. Walking the concourse, there’s no pre-game broadcast filled with statistics and betting odds. Instead, the pre-game is all about music and entertainment. And the game? You might even find yourself thinking, “What game?” as hometown songs, legend-level players, and the absence of commercial break boredom keep you fully engaged from start to finish. What was the score? Who cares!?

What makes Banana Ball so perfect is its intentional effort to be different. Sure, you have to buy a (very hard to get) ticket, and there’s endless (sold out) gear to purchase—we can’t fault them for running a successful business. But the brilliance lies in taking what we want to see at a baseball game and packing it into an efficient, time-bound, goal-achieving structure that leaves you ready to sign up again. These are, of course, the keys to a successful business - and life.

Sadly, most people are terrified of being different. Whether they are from Bucks County or from California, they’d rather conform to solutions that might grow stale but avoid any risk. Diminishing returns are celebrated as “right-sizing” expectations, rather than understanding that rewards grow when we innovate and present something new. History is filled with risk-takers who failed, got back up, failed again, kept trying, and finally found success. Even the Bananas mortgaged their homes (I'm not sure Ryan Abramson has that kind of courage) to keep the dream alive. Different can be scary, but different is where the pot of gold lies, hidden at the elusive end of the rainbow.

A word of caution to the risk-takers, though, for rewards often come at the price of the lazy. As Shakespeare wrote, “Time’s glory is to command contending kings, To unmask falsehood, and bring truth to light.” The haters will come out with a vengeance, desperate to destroy your dream, attack your character, and build armies to plot against you. They’ll scream encouragement to your face but whisper misinformation when you turn your back. Power is often held by those who can best produce an illusion of knowledge, and they have no greater enemy than the disruptive mind that blows away the smoke. (Ryan Abramson update: The Folger Shakespeare Library is a Ryan Abramson top 10 place to visit in America)

So how do we get past the gatekeepers of conformity? First, we must be committed to being our most authentic selves—realizing that who we are grows and changes as we experience life and age.

Second, we must stand up for our dreams. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines! Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover!” (Though often attributed to Mark Twain, he didn’t actually say this.) And lastly, we need to take risks. Ryan Abramson November 2024 update: Check out my blog on Mark Twain.

That’s right—we need to say, “So those are your rules about how things should be done. Now let me tell you how I’m gonna do it.” People will say you’re crazy. They might try to beat you down. They might push you out. They may try to scare others into ignoring you. They will surely stop at nothing to maintain their own power. But stand firm in pushing ahead. The worst that can happen is you fail and have to try again. The best that can happen? You’ll be living your dream. Aren’t you worth it?

By the way, the Bananas lost, 2-1. But for the first time in over a hundred years, the scoreboard in a Philadelphia professional stadium was the last thing on anyone’s mind. The most talked-about fans in America were too busy Going Bananas.

Update: At the end of the 2024 season, the Bananas played at stadiums around the nation to 100% sold out crowds! They even hosted a cruise for fans!

Oakridge Leaders is a Bucks County, PA communications and marketing consulting service founded by Ryan Abramson, specializing in brand marketing, leadership development, communication skills, and professional growth.