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

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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

(3:54) Brenda’s path to business ownership

(6:46) Finding cash-flowing businesses online

(8:35) Growing the café business

(12:57) How BizBuySell works

(17:07) Criteria for legacy businesses

(21:07) Leading without industry expertise

(26:03) Funding an acquisition with SBA loans