Edwins Letter of Recommendation

June 26, 2024

To whom it may concern,

Since this past December, Steve Weiss, head of Transformational Leadership Academy, has been contracted by Edwins Leadership and Restaurant Institute to provide leadership classes and coaching to our adult formerly incarcerated students in our six-month culinary program. 

Steve is leading our students through a journey of personal growth and strengthening their interpersonal and leadership skills. They are learning how to be more self-aware and open to feedback and growth, better able to regulate their emotions and to speak and act with intent. They are learning how to strategize, plan and achieve their goals, how to communicate, resolve conflict, build positive work relationships, and contribute to a successful team. He is also teaching them the importance of empathy, of taking ownership of one’s choices and of being pro-active instead of reactive. His approach teaches them caring and accountability while helping them feel empowered to change and to achieve their goals. 

Combining these soft skills with their culinary training increases our graduates’ marketability. It also sets them up for greater success and opportunity for upward mobility within the workplace. And it enhances their ability to effectively reintegrate into family and community. 

Steve is an excellent and engaging educator who uses many different modes of learning to keep his students actively engaged and help them absorb and integrate the concepts and tools. Students enjoy his class and express that it is meaningful and makes a significant difference for them. Staff can see the difference too. 

Steve is also an excellent leadership and reentry coach who has a knack for building rapport with the students, quickly establishing trust, providing a safe place for them to confront triggers and challenges standing in the way of their progress. His open and supportive coaching style enables students to envision and plan steps toward the future they desire by discovering and drawing on their strengths, exploring options, and moving toward change and commitment. 

Combining Steve’s leadership training and coaching with our existing program is proving to be a powerful and effective model for helping those in reentry to transform their lives and make a new beginning. It is a model I hope will be emulated by other organizations in the reentry field, moving beyond just teaching hard skills to addressing the whole person and helping ensure their greatest possible success not just in the workplace but in life. I highly recommend Steve and his program to you. 

Regards, 

Brandon E. Chrostowski
Founder ~ President ~ CEO