What Is Like Being CFO of the Savannah Bananas with Tim Naddy

Why It Matters

The Bananas model shows how modern sports finance can prioritize audience building and agile decision-making to drive growth and monetization in the attention economy, offering a playbook for other entertainment brands. It highlights CFOs’ evolving role from number-crunchers to strategic operators in experience-driven businesses.

Summary

Dr. Tim Natty, CFO of the Savannah Bananas, describes a fast-moving, experimental finance role focused on rapid 80/20 decision-making and continual pivots to support a fan-first sports-entertainment business. His background spans public accounting, entrepreneurship, sports analytics and academia, which he leverages to keep the Bananas’ touring “bubble” operational and scalable. The team’s long-term strategy prioritizes gathering fans over immediate dollars, using social media to break regional barriers and fuel growth. Natty also emphasizes teaching practical financial literacy and doing the opposite of industry norms to stand out.

Original Description

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Snyder sit down with Dr. Tim Naddy, CFO of the Savannah Bananas, to discuss the unique world of finance in a sports and entertainment organization. Tim shares how he manages FP&A for a fast-growing, multi-team baseball league, balancing operational efficiency with fan engagement, budgeting for multiple teams, and ensuring the internal finance function supports the entire organization’s growth.

Tim is the CFO of the Savannah Bananas, a wildly innovative and entertaining baseball organization. With experience in public accounting, higher education, and consulting, Tim brings a unique perspective on financial management, teaching, and operational strategy. He has also authored a book for creatives and non-finance professionals on strategic financial management, helping others understand how to transform ideas into sustainable business ventures.

Expect to Learn:

How FP&A functions in an unconventional sports and entertainment organization

Budgeting and financial planning across multiple teams and events

Managing risk, contracts, and operational logistics for traveling events

Lessons on aligning finance with organizational growth and fan engagement

How innovative business models and creativity intersect with FP&A

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:

“Finance isn’t a stumbling block, it’s a support function that ensures internal teams can succeed.” – Dr. Tim Naddy

“You don’t need to be from an area to support a team, you just need to feel the vibe.” – Dr. Tim Naddy

Dr. Tim Naddy provides a behind-the-scenes look at managing FP&A for the Savannah Bananas, balancing operational efficiency with creative fan engagement. He highlights how finance supports growth across multiple teams and events, ensuring budgets, logistics, and resources are aligned. Listeners gain insights into innovative financial management, practical FP&A strategies, and the importance of adaptability in dynamic, non-traditional organizations.

Follow Tim:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtimnaddy221b/

Website: https://www.houndtalint.com/

Earn Your CPE Credit

For CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.

In Today’s Episode

[00:00] – Trailer

[05:07] – Bananas Brand Story

[08:12] – Teaching & Book

[11:14] – CFO Misconceptions

[13:14] – FP&A Process & League

[18:12] – Revenue & Ticketing

[26:00] – Logistics & Operations

[32:28] – Team Management

[46:51] – Banana Ball Rules

[54:42] – FP&A Advice & Closing