Above & Beyond: Where Excellence Meets Elevation

Jan Simon
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Entrepreneurship

Above & Beyond: Where Excellence Meets Elevation is a podcast that dives deep into the stories of business owners, community leaders, and aspiring entrepreneurs who are striving to make an extraordinary impact. Each episode explores their roots, motivations, and defining moments to inspire listeners on their own journey to excellence. 

  1. 2d ago

    You're Not Broken, You're Out of Position | David Phillips

    Send us Fan Mail David has spent more than a decade walking alongside people who look like they have it all together on the outside — the career, the family, the responsibilities — but who are quietly wrestling with drift, numbness, and the question: is this really the life I'm meant to build? His own path was anything but a straight line. Born in Saskatchewan. Architecture degree in Winnipeg. A gap year at Bible school in Sweden and Austria, where he met his future wife. Immigrating to Arizona in 1994. Cutting his teeth managing PetSmart construction projects in what he calls a "white collar sweatshop." A bed and breakfast in Jerome. Vocational ministry in Colorado. And a son, Julian, born with hypoplastic lungs and end-stage renal failure who has needed two kidney transplants. Then came what David calls his season of darkness — three years of anxiety-fueled depression from late 2016 to late 2019. Coming out of it is what produced the book. In this conversation, we dig into: - Why he believes people aren't broken, they're just out of position - A Gen X childhood with a ridiculous amount of freedom in Regina, Saskatchewan - Bible school in Europe and the question he's spent a lifetime on - Prototypical architecture and burning out on the career he'd wanted since age nine - The bed and breakfast, the ministry, and a pattern of "this isn't what I thought it would be" - Julian's birth, the NICU, and two kidney transplants — both 40 days from clinic to surgery - The autism diagnosis at 10, and letting go of expectations - Leaving architecture a second time to become a homeschooling guide - The season of darkness and what came out of it - Suffering minus meaning equals despair. Suffering plus meaning equals passion. - "The Freaking Basics" — sleep, water, food, movement, before the existential crisis - Working ON your life vs. working IN your life - Why comfort is the most dangerous thing about a good life - The sigmoid curve, unconscious competence, and why stasis is a myth - The biggest lie we tell ourselves when we know we need to change Support the show www.abovebeyondpodcast.com Please LIKE, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE.

    You're Not Broken, You're Out of Position | David Phillips

  2. Jul 30

    From Growing Up Under the Flight Path to the Left Seat at Southwest Airlines | Phil Green

    Send us Fan Mail He quit a $60,000-a-year job, moved his wife to Farmington, New Mexico, and started flying passengers with only 250 hours of flight time — making $20K a year. Fourteen years and three airlines later, Phil Green finally earned the left seat at Southwest Airlines. In this episode of Above & Beyond: Where Excellence Meets Elevation, host Jän Simon sits down with Captain Phil Green — a Mesa, Arizona native, the oldest of six kids, and someone whose love of aviation started by watching planes fly over his house on approach to Sky Harbor Airport. Phil shares his unconventional path: a two-year mission in St. Petersburg, Russia, a criminal justice degree from ASU, a career pivot from law school aspirations to flight training, and the 14-year grind through regional airlines to reach his dream job. He also opens up about growing up between two very different households, losing a sister, the mentor who told him "If I had to do it over, I'd be an airline pilot," and the culture that makes Southwest different. Now Phil gives back through Destination 225 (Southwest's pilot pathway program), Flight Path Vectors, and the FPV Foundation — which helped relocate 50 Afghan Black Hawk helicopter pilots and their families to Arizona. Support the show www.abovebeyondpodcast.com Please LIKE, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE.

    From Growing Up Under the Flight Path to the Left Seat at Southwest Airlines | Phil Green

  3. Jul 23

    "I Couldn’t Save Daniel" — A Father’s Mission to Prevent the Next Tragedy | Roy Sublasky

    Send us Fan Mail Roy Sublasky was on probation until he was 18, dropped out of school, and watched friends die or go to prison. At 21, a woman showed up at his door with a two-year-old son he didn’t know he had — and that knock changed everything. He surrendered his life to Christ, became a pastor, and spent 20 years planting churches and serving communities from Arizona to Cambodia. Then, on October 10, 2025, his 19-year-old son Daniel was murdered at an apartment complex in Chandler.   In this episode, Roy sits down with Jän Simon for one of the most powerful conversations this podcast has ever had. He shares the raw details of that night, the agony of a justice system that let the defendants out on bond before Mother’s Day, and the decision he and his wife Jessica made: get bitter or get better. Roy chose better — and he’s channeling his grief into the SQUASH Initiative, a violence de-escalation and prevention program built to reach young people before one bad moment changes everything.   Topics Covered: - Growing up in Chandler: ADHD, skateboards, and finding trouble early - The Lithuanian-Hispanic surname and deep-rooted Chandler family history - Dropping out of school and getting his GED at 36 - Coming to Christ at 21: the knock on the door that changed everything - Connection before correction: the key to reaching young people - Kevin Starr: the alternative school teacher who made a lasting impact - 20 years of ministry across Arizona, California, South Carolina, Mexico & Cambodia - Daniel Justice Sublasky: who he was, how he served, and what happened that night - Navigating the court system and the fight for justice - The SQUASH Initiative: Slow it down, Question the moment, Understand the stakes, Act with purpose, Seek God, Honor life - Turning grief into purpose: “I couldn’t save Daniel, but there could be a Daniel that gets saved” Support the show www.abovebeyondpodcast.com Please LIKE, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE.

    "I Couldn’t Save Daniel" — A Father’s Mission to Prevent the Next Tragedy | Roy Sublasky

  4. Jul 16

    Shoulder Surgeries Ended His Baseball Dream — Now He Runs a Painting Empire

    Send us Fan Mail Jason Bressler was an Arizona high school All-Star pitcher who played at Chase Field on Father's Day, threw in the low 90s, and had his sights set on ASU — until two labrum surgeries ripped the glove off his hand for good. Today, he's the owner of CertaPro Painters of Gilbert-Queen Creek, carrying forward the family business his parents, Randy and Irma, built from scratch after the 2008 recession.  In this episode, Jason sits down with Jän Simon to talk about growing up on the baseball diamond, the dark period after his career ended, working corporate sales jobs he hated, and the moment his dad said, "Get to work or sell something." He shares the real story of stepping into a family legacy, building the commercial painting division from almost nothing, and why he’d rather lose a job than use a product he can’t stand behind. Support the show www.abovebeyondpodcast.com Please LIKE, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE.

    Shoulder Surgeries Ended His Baseball Dream — Now He Runs a Painting Empire

  5. Jul 9

    Breaking Defiance: Thriving in Nonconformity | Liz Ponce, Embracing Authentic Success

    Send us Fan Mail Jän Simon interviews Liz Ponce, a twin mom and co-owner of Arizona-based LZR Marketing, about building a marketing agency without choosing a niche and balancing creativity, leadership, and family. Liz shares growing up in Jackson, Michigan and Chicago before moving to Buckeye Arizona, her competitive background in basketball and drumline, and how she moved through multiple schools to study graphic design. She describes early work in printing and a fast-paced role at Rapid Recovery where she expanded from design into web, events, and Salesforce. After COVID, Liz and her wife started their agency, landed early clients, and were fired from their education-focused agency job shortly after—pushing them to go all-in despite health insurance concerns. Liz explains the split between LZR’s white-glove retainer model and Early Bird’s packaged services, plus realistic expectations for marketing timelines. Support the show www.abovebeyondpodcast.com Please LIKE, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE.

    Breaking Defiance: Thriving in Nonconformity | Liz Ponce, Embracing Authentic Success

  6. Jul 2

    He Built a Billion-Dollar Real Estate Company — Then Lost It All | Boaz Gilad

    Send us Fan Mail Boaz Gilad on Unmasking Success: From Actor to Billion-Dollar Real Estate—and Losing It All Host Jän Simon welcomes Boaz Gilad—entrepreneur, performance strategist, founder of Zenith Clubhouse, and author of The Zenith Code—to discuss why success isn’t linear but a rollercoaster. Boaz shares his origin story from growing up in Israel, serving in the Israeli army, moving to New York with a suitcase to study acting, and unexpectedly pivoting into real estate after learning about building equity. He explains how he scaled quickly by specializing in housing for actors, survived 2008, and eventually took a New York real estate company public with over $1B in assets—before a hostile takeover left him losing everything. The conversation explores redefining success beyond money, the “life is a game” framework (timeline, rules, scoreboard), why high achievers plateau, and why discipline, coaching, and systems beat motivation and hype. www.zenithclubhouse.com Support the show www.abovebeyondpodcast.com Please LIKE, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE.

    He Built a Billion-Dollar Real Estate Company — Then Lost It All | Boaz Gilad

  7. Jun 25

    Risk and Reinvention Lead to a Blessed Life | John Weiss

    Send us Fan Mail On Above & Beyond: Where Excellence Meets Elevation, host Jän Simon sits down with John Weiss—owner of ProBlast LLC and co-owner of Minuteman Press in Mesa—whose path from Anchorage, Alaska to Arizona is shaped by constant reinvention. John shares a childhood rooted in old Alaska history and hard lessons, early work from shoveling driveways to gold mining, and a career spanning longshoreman work, the Coast Guard, firefighting, and more. He explains why he makes fast decisions, what the Coast Guard taught him about risk, and how entrepreneurship changed his view of time, money, and success. John also discusses building ProBlast as a surface-prep/sandblasting company, adopting laser cleaning, partnering with his wife Devin in business, and evaluating opportunities by defining how much you’re willing to lose and what could take a business out. Support the show www.abovebeyondpodcast.com Please LIKE, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE.

    Risk and Reinvention Lead to a Blessed Life | John Weiss

  8. Jun 18

    From Challenges to Changemaker | Sarah Watts, Leading with Love

    Send us Fan Mail She Built the Gilbert Chamber’s Business Resource Center Used by 800+ Businesses in 18 Months | Sarah Watts Jän Simon interviews Sarah Watts, president and CEO of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce and newly appointed chair of Arizona Chamber Executives, about leading the community where she grew up. Sarah shares her East Valley upbringing in Chandler, her long relationship with her high school sweetheart Sean, and early leadership through choir and color guard, including a year at ASU. She explains studying journalism with a PR emphasis, switching away from hard news after covering a disturbing Ahwatukee murder case, and working in communications at St. Mary’s Food Bank. Sarah details joining the Gilbert Chamber in 2008, building programs and the Chamber Foundation in 2016, and defining “leading with love” while balancing nonprofit demands, advocacy, and motherhood. She also describes the Catalyst business resource center launched after COVID, used by 800+ businesses in 18 months. 00:00 Student Journalism Shock 00:45 Meet Sarah Watts 02:47 East Valley Roots 05:00 Chandler High Memories 05:59 Color Guard Captain 11:04 College and Career Pivot 13:24 Early Mentors and Responsibility 16:58 Leading With Love 21:15 Finding the Chamber Path 25:39 Evolving as CEO 27:09 Mom First Leadership 31:01 Chamber Mission Today 34:36 Town Partnership Explained 36:17 Representing Business Voice 38:15 When Council Disagrees 40:45 Building Relationships With Electeds 41:45 Solving Zoning Roadblocks 43:27 Chamber Programs And Networking 45:27 Foundation Workforce Pipeline 47:57 Catalyst Origin Story 52:04 Family And Parenting Teens 54:14 Leadership At Home And Work 56:20 Unplugging And Self Care 59:19 Future Of The Chamber 01:02:21 Legacy And Leading With Love 01:08:46 Truth Telling And Community Involvement 01:10:41 Dream Vacation And Closing Above Par NetworkArizona’s no-BS networking: golf, socials, business mixers.Foundation Insurance ServicesLocal experts building strong insurance solutions for business, personal, and benefits.Meritum Credit Card ProcessingLocal Gilbert team delivering payment processing expertise to East Valley businessesRox Ink CalligraphyGilbert-based artist hand-crafting calligraphy, engraving & event personalization.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show www.abovebeyondpodcast.com Please LIKE, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE.

    From Challenges to Changemaker | Sarah Watts, Leading with Love
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5
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About

Above & Beyond: Where Excellence Meets Elevation is a podcast that dives deep into the stories of business owners, community leaders, and aspiring entrepreneurs who are striving to make an extraordinary impact. Each episode explores their roots, motivations, and defining moments to inspire listeners on their own journey to excellence. 

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