Social entrepreneur Brandon Chrostowski was arrested in Detroit at the age of 18 and faced a long jail sentence. Instead, he received a second chance and was sentenced to just one year in probation. That was when he decided to turn his life around. He finished high school and went to a culinary institute where he peeled carrots. His relentless work ethic found him restaurant jobs in New York City, Chicago, and then Paris. It was there that he began telling himself to "quit screwing around, quit making excuses, quit overthinking things. Just do it.” In Paris, Brandon realized that "hard work doesn't have a language." Yet becoming a successful chef was not enough for Brandon Chrostowski. He thought to himself, “I’ve got to do something even bigger with my life. It may take a long time, but I’m going to start today.” His dream was to give a second chance to ex-convicts. During his time off from his 80hr/week restaurant work, Brandon began teaching culinary skills in a local prison. He spent $2,000 of his life savings to buy all the equipment. As his project grew, he built Edwin's Restaurant and Leadership Institute in Cleveland, Ohio. Not only is it a top rated restaurant, the staff who work at Edwin's Restaurant are ex-convicts who receive training and housing. Brandon attributes the success to his work ethic and trust in his instincts: “People think you have to rest one day. You don’t have to. You can work on a project. You can work 100 hours per week. You just do that seven days a week. When you hit it like this for a decade, things start to happen. You really chip away at what needs to get done and built.” Brandon was recently named a CNN Hero.   Show Links for Brandon Chrostowski Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business by Danny Meyer Show Notes for Brandon Chrostowski Brandon Chrostowski began working in the restaurant industry in Detroit before he was 18 Brandon Chrostowski got arrested at age 18 and faced a 5-10 year jail sentence. Instead, he received a second chance and was sentenced to just one year in probation. He was a high energy child who loved to push the limits He started working in the restaurant industry in New York, Paris, and Chicago Back in Detroit, friends were getting killed or going to jail The idea of race was a big issue for Brandon “I’ve got to do something bigger with my life. It may take a long time, but I’m going to start today.” When Brandon started Edwin’s Restaurant, he was still paying off school loans “You can work 100 hours per week.” Edwin’s schedule when starting Edwin’s Restaurant: 8am-10am Edwin’s Restaurant, 10am-midnight work at a restaurant, midnight-2am Edwin’s Restaurant “You just do that seven days a week.” “People think you have to rest one day. You don’t have to. You can work on a project.” Brandon works from 8am until 1am six days a week currently, and 10-12 hours on a Sunday “When you hit it like this for a decade, things start to happen. You really chip away at what needs to get done and built.” Brandon had to figure out how to start and run a nonprofit organization While Brandon worked as a full-time chef, he started small, by teaching culinary skills in prison. That’s how he started A documentary about Edwin’s Restaurant will be coming out in early 2017, with 4 years of footage “Nobody’s going to invest in you if you don’t invest in yourself.” Brandon invested $1,000-$2,000 to purchase the startup equipment like knives Small family foundations began supporting Brandon One in three people have been involved with the justice system in the US Stigma makes it hard for people with criminal records to find jobs Yet it’s a crutch. If you have a special skill and the desire to work, there is no trouble finding a job, even with a felony. It’