#163 - From Pilot Spouse to Café Owner with Brenda Gage

Join us on October 8–9, 2026, at the M Resort and Casino in Las Vegas for the first-ever Passive Income Pilots Conference. Learn how to build smarter wealth beyond the cockpit - https://www.passiveincomepilots.com/pip-conference A practical path to business ownership. Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson sit down with Brenda Gage, a pilot spouse who turned a long-time goal of business ownership into a growing café portfolio. Brenda shares how she found established, cash-flowing businesses, evaluated opportunities on BizBuySell, used SBA financing, and pushed through lender rejections. She also explains why culture, employee retention, and a respectful seller transition matter just as much as the numbers. This episode offers a grounded look at acquiring a business beyond franchises or real estate.Brenda Gage is the owner of a growing chain of Washington cafés and Larson’s Bakery. Married to an Alaska Airlines pilot, she built a flexible career around family life before acquiring eight cafés through SBA financing. In three years, she helped grow annual revenue from approximately $16.7 million to $21 million. Brenda shares practical insights on finding established businesses, securing the right lending partner, leading employees through ownership transitions, and preserving the legacy of family-owned companies.Show notes:(0:00) Passive Income Pilots Conference announcement: https://www.passiveincomepilots.com/pip-conference (4:44) Brenda’s path to business ownership(7:36) Finding cash-flowing businesses online(9:25) Growing the café business(13:47) How BizBuySell works(17:57) Criteria for legacy businesses(21:57) Leading without industry expertise(26:53) Funding an acquisition with SBA loans(33:22) Finding the right SBA lender(41:25) How a business purchase closes(43:36) Leading staff through ownership change(49:36) OutroConnect with Brenda Gage:Website: https://www.cafesinc.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-gage-12796592/ If you’re interested in participating, the latest institutional-quality self-storage portfolio is available for investment now at: https://turbinecap.investnext.com/portal/offerings/8449/houston-storage/ — You've found the number one resource for financial education for aviators! Please consider leaving a rating and sharing this podcast with your colleagues in the aviation community, as it can serve as a valuable resource for all those involved in the industry.