Overcoming Adversity to Achieve Excellence | Phil Passante
1:32:37 · Above & Beyond: Where Excellence Meets Elevation · 2026-04-02
Send us Fan Mail Phil Passante shares why he prefers “excellence” over “expert,” framing it as a continual pursuit, then traces his journey from an idyllic childhood outside Milwaukee to moving to Arizona in 1986 seeking better weather and opportunity. After early work selling high-end men’s clothing, he learned the auto glass business from the ground up—sales, installation, leadership—and in 2001 launched Auto Glass Excellence, emphasizing responsiveness, integrity, and service. He describes early challenges including 9/11, industry changes, and major personal and financial betrayals: a builder taking $200,000 in 2008 and a trusted employee embezzling nearly $1 million over about a decade, discovered in 2016. Anchored by faith, family support, and regained health, he kept the business moving, expanded into window tint, and defines success as love, family, and his grandchildren—living the “dash” between life’s dates. Best Option / Guidance Alliance / Ocotillo Flooring Support the show www.abovebeyondpodcast.com Please LIKE, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE.