Hello-

I find it remarkable that I had literally NEVER HEARD of the Savannah Bananas before April 22nd, and yet after listening to Jesse Cole talk about placing “fans first” at the center of all their business decisions, I found myself driving three hours one way to Yankee Stadium less than a week later with the entire family only to turn around and come back home in the same day.  Six hours of driving for a three hour game!

What made this experience suddenly a life- bucket-lister, an opportunity that could not be missed?  “Fans first” may seem like a generic business motto, but Jesse genuinely wants your experience to be magical, whether you are sitting near the dugout, or high above in the cheap seats.  They are constantly iterating, looking for ways to surprise and delight their audience.  My favorite was “The World's Slowest Race,” in which they plopped eight babies on the first base line and invited them to crawl to their mothers. Some went backward, some cried, and thankfully one girl scooted on her bum all the way to the finish line. It was hilarious!

Even better, Jesse’s motivation is not their bottom line.  He has deliberately kept ticket prices affordable despite overwhelming popularity, as he wants the Savannah Bananas experience to stay accessible for families.  He is investing in our desire to build memories in real-time, with people who understand that bucket-filling can be contagious.

It turns out that Banana Ball IS worth all the hype.  And I am inspired to double down on making sure that Excelle delivers moments that also invite you to stop what you are doing and show up. We appreciate that prioritizing an Excelle Roundtable in a busy spring calendar CAN feel like the equivalent of driving six hours in one day.  So you have my word that we will be tireless in our desire to manifest our version of “sisters first.” 

With gratitude-

P.S. - In the spirit of showing up for each other, please make sure to prioritize our last official roundtables in May!

TWO MONTH COUNTDOWN: 2026 LAUNCH

The countdown to Providence has begun! On Wednesday, June 24, 2026, our official kickoff to Excelle 2026-2027 starts with our Annual Launch gathering in Providence, Rhode Island. Over two and a half days, we’ll dive into topics like showcasing your unique leadership strengths, finding community with like-minded women, building your personal brand, embodied leadership, wellness with a focus on perimenopause and menopause and much more. We would love to see you there! To confirm your participation, please complete the 2026-2027 Membership Form or contact a member of our team to discuss further. 

The deadline for securing a spot in next year’s cohorts and at our Annual Launch is Monday, May 11.

We hope to see you during our final month of Roundtables for the 2025-2026 year! All Roundtables in May will feature the same topic: Permission to Exhale: Reflecting on Our Work Together. In these final gatherings, members will be prompted to consider individual and collective journeys over the course of the last year. See you there!  

• Executive Roundtable | Tuesday, May 12th from 12:00-1:30pm 

• Aspiring Roundtable | Wednesday, May 20th from 12:00-1:30pm 

• Collective Roundtable #1 | Tuesday, May 19th from 1:30-2:30pm 

• Collective Roundtable #2 | Thursday, May 21st from 12:00-1:00pm 

This month, we heard from Aspiring member Kim Gayle, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart located in Bethesda, Maryland. Read on to learn more about your fellow Excelle member!