Jesse Cole: Normal Gets Normal Results | The Fans First Playbook

Realm

September 21, 2026

Show Notes

Normal gets normal results. What would happen if you stopped copying your industry and started creating an experience people could not stop talking about?

In this Mick Unplugged re-release, Mick Hunt sits down with Jesse Cole for a practical conversation about building a fans-first business. Jesse shares how joy, memorable moments, and a willingness to try what others will not can change the way customers and employees experience your brand.

The conversation goes beyond the show on the field. Jesse explains how his team looks for customer friction, why values matter most when they cost you something, and how storytelling keeps a growing organization aligned. He recounts a ticket-email mistake and the decision to make it right, even at what he describes as a $6 million cost to the company.

You will also hear why failure can be treated as discovery, how gratitude helps create fans, and why great leaders keep teaching, repeating, and getting their reps in.

If you lead a team, serve customers, or are building something of your own, this conversation will challenge you to stop settling for ordinary.

This is a re-release of an archival conversation. References to team counts, tours, ticket demand, and projects reflect the time of recording.

The big idea

Being different is not the goal by itself. Creating an experience people remember, talk about, and want to share is the goal. Jesse Cole explains how he uses that distinction to lead, generate ideas, and build a fans-first culture.

In this episode

- Jesse's deeper purpose: bringing people together through joy.

- Why copying the normal practices of an industry tends to produce normal results.

- How to identify friction in everyday customer interactions, from invoices to the live experience.

- The "you wouldn't believe" test for a memorable moment.

- Why a company's values need to show up in decisions, not just on the wall.

- Jesse's account of an email mistake and a costly ticket commitment.

- How repeated stories and team recognition reinforce culture.

- Why watching customer behavior can reveal more than asking for opinions.

- The setbacks behind ambitious ideas and the discipline of continuing to improve.

- Gratitude as a daily practice for leaders, employees, and customers.

- Why great leaders teach, repeat, and practice communicating.

Put it into practice

Choose one ordinary interaction in your business. Find the friction. Write down three ways to make the experience more useful, surprising, or memorable. Then thank one person who has helped you build what you have.

Chapters

Why this conversation is a business masterclass

Welcome to Mick Unplugged

Jesse's because: bringing people together with joy

Bring the energy and make moments matter

Why normal gets normal results

Find the friction and create memorable experiences

Making fans-first values real

The ticket mistake and the cost of doing right

Storytelling and a culture that scales

Reinvention without losing your direction

Build the best experience and watch your fans