Published on 10/14/2026 · by Leandro Caldas, glazier, founder of Routeck and creator of the Arena
Romulo Sullivan and Monte Glass: five years in glass and a reality show
The other side of the Arena do Vidro final was Rômulo Sullivan, owner of Monte Glass. Five years in the glass trade, a steady hand for manual work and a consistency the judges praised from the first episode. He won EP1, fought point for point to the last challenge and finished the season with 27.12 against the champion's 29.37.
In this post I tell you who Rômulo is, where the name Monte Glass comes from, and what his way of working teaches anyone running a small glass shop who wants to grow.
A turning point and Psalm 121
In EP2, Rômulo introduced himself: he got into the trade about five years ago, at the moment he most needed a financial turnaround. The company name comes from the Bible, Psalm 121: "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord." Hence Monte Glass, "monte" meaning hill.
He thanked God first, then his family, and said that today I'm a reference for him. I'm honored, but there were no favors in the Arena: he came in saying he was there to win and fought for every point.
What Rômulo does best
- Consistency. In EP1, one judge noticed he never tried to rush: even seeing his rival close the gap, he kept the same pace.
- Hand skill with vinyl. He fell behind at break-out but made up time on the stencil: he applied and cut the vinyl before his rival.
- Vinyl in strips. In his shop he's in the habit of cutting vinyl into strips so he can apply it alone. In the Arena he saw on the first try that stretching the whole roll wouldn't work, and went back to his own method.
- Sales pitch. In EP2 he sold his mirror for R$ 20 by talking up the product: leather edge, real mirror, top quality, "your wife is going to love it".
The templates: knowing your own limits
What struck me most about Rômulo was what he said about his weak spot: cutting isn't his strength, and he knows it. That's why, at Monte Glass, he has a set of templates he made himself, and he uses them a lot for organic shapes with tight curves.
In EP1, without his templates, he tried to cut the Hello Kitty bow by hand and saw it wasn't going to work. So he built a rough copy of his template on the spot and managed the cut. It's a lesson for any glass shop: if you know where you fail, build a tool so you don't depend on your hand alone at that point.
Where the season pushed him
| Episode | Rômulo's moment |
|---|---|
| EP1 | Nearly broke the mirror edging the curve, asked Vinícius for help and saved the piece. Won with 7.5 and smashed his rival's mirror. |
| EP2 | Chose a flexible frame to skip edging. Sold on the street for R$ 20 in 3 minutes 7 seconds. Score: 19.5 to 21. |
| EP3 | Got closest to the template, but the mirror cracked at break-out. The judges called a tie. |
| EP4 | Cut the mirror with no clearance, welding pulled the frame and he had to redo it. Finished with 27.12. |
In the final he was honest: "man, I think I blew it". He knew welding pulls the frame, cut the mirror right to size and left no clearance. Even so he delivered a free-standing mirror, within the rules. And he took home the consolation prize, a R$ 2,000 supply kit from LED Glass, with a line that says a lot about him: "With this two thousand in prizes, I'll make ten thousand."
What a small glass shop can learn from Rômulo
Five years in the trade isn't long for someone who reached a final against an eight-year glazier. What carried Rômulo was method: templates for what he hasn't mastered, vinyl strips so he can work alone, a steady pace without rushing. That's how a small shop grows, by turning a weak spot into a process.
- Who is Rômulo Sullivan?
- A glazier with about five years of experience, owner of Monte Glass and finalist of Arena do Vidro season 1. On Instagram: @monteglass_.
- Why is his company called Monte Glass?
- Because of Psalm 121: "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord." He told the story in EP2.
- How did Rômulo score in Arena do Vidro?
- He won EP1 with 7.5, tied EP3 and finished the season with 27.12 points, against champion Janael's 29.37. He took a R$ 2,000 supply kit as a consolation prize.
Rômulo's introduction opens EP2, at the top of this post. And if you run a glass shop too and want to show your method at the bench, applications for the next season are open here on the site.
Full episode 2 · Season 1 contestants · Janael Hipólito: the fast glazier who won the Arena · Instagram for a glass shop: how to show your work