Ep 216: How to Train Your Team to Pivot Fast

Apr 7

Written By Shana Lynn

How to Train Your Team to Pivot Fast

Most businesses say they move fast.

Few actually do.

You talk about testing.

You talk about failing forward.

You talk about innovation.

But your ideas sit in Asana for months.

In this conversation, I interview Emily Cole, co-founder of the Savannah Bananas.

If you have ever watched their content, you know this is true.

They pivot fast.

They test constantly.

They implement within days, sometimes hours.

So the real question is this:

How do you build that mentality into a business?

What the Savannah Bananas Get Right

Emily explains that their team operates like a speedboat, not a cruise ship .

That means:

When something goes viral, they respond that night
They test new ideas every game
They normalize calling audibles
They expect rapid shifts

This is not random.

It is cultural.

They tell people during hiring:

We move fast.

We test often.

We pivot quickly.

That clarity protects the team.

Why This Matters for Membership Businesses

Your members live in real time.

Trends shift.

Needs change.

Energy fluctuates.

If you operate like a cargo ship, you miss the moment.

But here is the catch.

Founders love speed.

Teams often drown in it.

Without structure, speed turns into:

Project overload
Role creep
Burnout
Retention decline

Speed alone does not create loyalty.

Smart speed does.

How to Apply the Speedboat Model to Your Membership

Here is how you take Emily’s tactics and apply them to a scalable membership.

1. Set the Speed Expectation Early

If your business pivots fast, say that in hiring.

Be clear about:

Testing culture
Fast feedback loops
Experimentation rhythm

This prevents friction later.

The wrong hire slows the whole ship.

2. Glorify Testing, Not Perfection

Emily shared that they celebrate experiments, even when they fall flat .

In a membership, that looks like:

Trying a new live format
Testing shorter trainings
Experimenting with accountability pods
Piloting recognition systems

Then you ask:

Did this improve results?

Did this strengthen relationships?

Did this increase engagement?

That aligns directly with the Retention Accelerator Framework:

Results
Recognition
Relationships

If it improves one of those, keep it.

If not, refine or cut it.

3. Define Who Gets to Move Fast

As the Bananas grow, they are learning not everyone gets full speed access .

This is critical for memberships.

You need layers:

Leadership prototypes
Team executes
Clear approval paths

Otherwise you create chaos.

Speed without guardrails creates rework.

Structure without speed creates stagnation.

Retention needs both.

4. Install Tight Feedback Loops

Testing without review is waste.

After every experiment, document:

What we tried
What happened
What members said
What we adjust

Build this into your Member Journey Map.

Every touchpoint should improve over time.

This is how speed drives retention instead of draining your team.

The Real Lesson from Emily Cole

The Savannah Bananas are not successful because they move fast.

They are successful because:

Speed is cultural
Testing is normalized
Constraints fuel creativity
Feedback is constant

That is not entertainment strategy.

That is retention strategy.

And it works just as well inside:

Coaching memberships
Community platforms
Subscription programs
Masterminds

If you want to keep members longer, you cannot wait six months to improve their experience.

You need smart iteration.

Final Question

Are you operating like a speedboat?

Or are your ideas stuck in planning mode?

If you want help building retention systems that allow you to test fast without overwhelming your team, that is exactly what we do inside RETAIN.

Apply to RETAIN at joinretain.com

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Shana Lynn