Sandra Mann
SAN DIEGO, Calif., September 2, 2026 — Smart Passive Income (SPI), the online business education brand founded by entrepreneur and creator Pat Flynn, today announced that entrepreneur and email marketing expert Liz Wilcox has purchased 100% of SPI Media and SPI Labs from Flynn and his longtime business partner, Matt Gartland. The transaction was completed on April 1, 2026. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The acquisition marks a new chapter for one of the longest-running education brands in the creator and online business space. Flynn founded Smart Passive Income in 2008 after being laid off from his architecture job and building his first successful online business. What began as a blog documenting his experiences building income online grew into a global education platform encompassing podcasts, courses, a membership community, newsletters, and other resources for entrepreneurs.
Today, the Smart Passive Income Podcast has surpassed 80 million downloads, SPI’s educational programs have served more than 50,000 students, and the brand reaches an audience of more than 100,000 subscribers.
“Smart Passive Income has been my baby for 18 years, so selling it was never something I took lightly,” said Flynn. “Over the years, Matt and I had opportunities to sell, but I always knew that if I ever handed SPI to someone else, it had to be about more than numbers. It had to be someone who understood what this brand stands for, who genuinely cares about the people we serve, and who could give SPI the attention it deserves. There is no one else I could imagine taking it from here besides Liz.”
A New Owner With Deep Roots in Online Business
Wilcox is an entrepreneur and email marketing expert who has spent a decade building online businesses. She began her entrepreneurial journey with an RV travel blog, which she later sold before focusing full-time on email marketing. Her Email Marketing Membership has grown to a community of more than 4,000 members, and Wilcox has generated more than 70,000 sales across her online businesses.
Her relationship with SPI began years before the acquisition. Wilcox appeared multiple times as a guest on the Smart Passive Income Podcast and developed a relationship with Flynn and the SPI team before eventually joining the company as Director of Community in 2026.
The idea of an acquisition first surfaced in 2025 while Flynn was balancing his responsibilities at SPI with the rapid growth of his Pokémon-focused media ventures. Initial conversations between Wilcox, Flynn, and Gartland centered not on the financial terms of a potential sale, but on whether Wilcox’s values and vision aligned with SPI’s mission and community.
Those conversations ultimately led to Wilcox purchasing SPI Media and SPI Labs in April 2026.
“SPI represents so much of what made me want to become an entrepreneur in the first place,” said Wilcox. “I’ve built my own businesses around the idea that you can work hard and with intention on the right things now to create more freedom for yourself later. That’s what Smart Passive Income has always stood for. I’m incredibly excited to build on that foundation and help the next generation of entrepreneurs put the ‘income’ in Smart Passive Income.”
Wilcox will serve as Owner and CEO of Smart Passive Income.
Building on SPI’s Original Mission
Under Wilcox’s leadership, Smart Passive Income will continue its focus on helping entrepreneurs build sustainable online businesses. The SPI name, community, educational programs, and core brand will remain in place, with no major changes planned as a result of the acquisition.
Wilcox plans to place particular emphasis on helping early-stage entrepreneurs move from ideas and audiences to businesses that generate meaningful income.
“One of the original ideas behind Smart Passive Income was simple: work hard now so you can reap the benefits later,” said Wilcox. “I love that idea because passive income was never supposed to mean doing nothing. It’s about building something intentionally that can eventually give you more freedom, flexibility, and choice. I want to bring that message to a whole new generation of entrepreneurs.
This is why we are taking things from ‘Team Flynn’ to ‘Team WIN.’ WIN stands for What’s Important Now and I think it’s important for each person that comes to us to learn what they need to focus on. Too many new business owners and content creators try to do everything, all at once. Our main focus from here on out will be to help each individual realize what path will strengthen their vision and make them true and smart, passive income.”
Since the acquisition closed in April, Wilcox has been working inside SPI as Director of Community while Flynn and the team prepared for the public transition. During that period, SPI has seen significant increases in community participation and new member growth, giving Wilcox an opportunity to begin shaping the company’s next chapter before formally stepping forward as its owner.
What’s Next for Pat Flynn
Flynn will step away from the day-to-day operations of Smart Passive Income while remaining connected to the brand he founded. He will continue to make monthly appearances on the Smart Passive Income Podcast and will serve as an advisor to Wilcox during the transition.
His next chapter will focus primarily on the Pokémon and family-focused media ventures he began building in 2020, along with new projects centered on storytelling and filmmaking.
“Over the last few years, I’ve felt myself being pulled in two directions,” Flynn said. “SPI will always be part of who I am, but the work I’m doing now with Pokémon, storytelling, and families has become a new calling for me. I’m seeing firsthand how this work can bring parents and kids together, and I want to give myself the space to see where that can lead. Knowing SPI is in Liz’s hands makes it possible for me to do that.”
Flynn has invested in a new physical production studio that will support his Pokémon-related content and future creative projects. His longer-term goal is to use storytelling and entertainment to positively impact children and families.
Gartland, who played a key role in SPI’s growth and evolution for nearly a decade, will also fully exit the company to focus on other business ventures.
“Matt has played an enormous role in shaping SPI into the company it is today,” Flynn added. “Some of the biggest decisions we’ve made over the last decade happened with his counsel and leadership. I’m incredibly grateful for what we built together and excited for what’s ahead for all of us.”
An 18-Year Legacy Enters Its Next Chapter
Flynn created Smart Passive Income in 2008 after his architecture career was unexpectedly disrupted by a layoff. He began publicly sharing what he was learning about building businesses online, including both his successes and failures, and became known for his transparency and “crash-test dummy of online business” approach.
That philosophy helped SPI grow alongside the creator economy itself. The Smart Passive Income Podcast launched in 2010 and has since surpassed 80 million downloads. SPI’s online courses have served more than 50,000 students, while its newsletters, podcasts, community, and educational resources reach entrepreneurs around the world.
For Wilcox, preserving that trust while evolving SPI for today’s entrepreneurs is at the center of what comes next.
“I don’t want to chance SPI at all” Wilcox said. “In fact, I want to bring it back to its roots. My vision is to take everything people already trust and love about SPI and ask, ‘How do we get back to what matters to early stage entrepreneurs? How do we make this even more useful for the entrepreneur who’s sitting at home right now wondering how to turn their idea into real income?’ I’ve been that person. I know what that feels like. And I can’t wait to dig in with our subscribers and listeners.”
Flynn added, “SPI is in good hands with Liz, and Liz is in good hands with SPI. This isn’t the end of Smart Passive Income. It’s the beginning of its next chapter.”
The transition will be discussed in a special episode of the Smart Passive Income Podcast featuring Flynn and Wilcox, along with a video interview and additional information here.
About Smart Passive Income
Founded by Pat Flynn in 2008, Smart Passive Income helps entrepreneurs build businesses that generate income, create freedom, and serve their audiences. Through podcasts, online courses, community, newsletters, workshops, and other educational resources, SPI provides practical strategies and support for entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.
The Smart Passive Income Podcast, launched in 2010, has surpassed 80 million downloads, and SPI’s educational programs have served more than 50,000 students.
For more information, visit SmartPassiveIncome.com.
About Liz Wilcox
Liz Wilcox is an entrepreneur and email marketing expert known for helping business owners simplify email marketing and turn subscribers into customers. After beginning her online business journey as an RV travel blogger, Wilcox sold the business and built an email marketing company centered around her Email Marketing Membership.
Over a decade in online business, Wilcox has generated more than 70,000 sales, built a membership community of more than 4,000 entrepreneurs, and created a business generating more than half a million dollars annually from an email list of fewer than 15,000 subscribers. She has appeared multiple times on the Smart Passive Income Podcast and joined SPI as Director of Community before becoming Owner and CEO in 2026.
For more information, visit LizWilcox.com.
Media Contact
Sandra Mann
Director of Marketing
Smart Passive Income
[email protected]
Liz Wilcox
Karen Beattie