In this episode, Tom Vozzo sits down with Jose Leon, head barista at Homegirl Cafe. But Jose almost didn’t stay long enough to make a single cup.

The first time Jose walked through the doors of Homeboy Industries, he was already planning his exit. Fresh out of rehab and carrying a charge for “fire,” considered worse than murder on the streets, he assumed a place full of gang members could never be positive. But his roommate, T, had a persistent, vibrant energy that Jose wanted for himself. More than that, he had four daughters. He needed to become someone they could count on.

So he stayed. He washed dishes. He unlearned nearly everything. And then he got tricked into becoming a barista. Behind the counter at Homegirl Cafe, Jose discovered that coffee dissolves the barriers between strangers. People walk in with heavy stories, a mother grieving a son, and hand them over with their order. He listens, he serves, and he makes the best latte in Los Angeles.

Now the head barista and a quiet leader, Jose still wakes at 3:30 a.m. He still focuses on the next generation, knowing he may never fully heal the wounds of his past. But he shows up differently. And that, he says, changes everything.

Key Takeaways

• If you want something different, you have to do something different.

  Jose did not suddenly feel ready. He chose differently. He realized that everything he had done before led him to where he was, and if he wanted a different life, he had to take a completely different path.

• Transformation does not instantly fix relationships

  Even when someone does the work to heal, grow, and change, family members may still see the old version of them. Rebuilding trust takes time, patience, and consistency.

• Small, consistent actions can create a sense of purpose.

  When Jose started in the back of the cafe washing dishes, it wasn't a dead-end job. It was the first time he knew he could do something, finish it, and do it correctly again the next day. 

• Support can break deeply rooted beliefs

  Many who come from incarceration or hardship feel like they do not deserve help. Experiencing genuine care through meals, kindness, and community begins to shift that mindset and opens the door to change

In This Episode:

• 00:55 – Jose’s first time at Homeboy

• 01:28 – The arson charge and coming out of rehab

• 02:04 – Why Jose was against Homeboy at first

• 02:45 – What kept him coming back

• 03:33 – The turning point: “I had to do something different”

• 05:44 – What Father Greg means to Jose

• 07:22 – Traveling to Fairbanks, Alaska to speak

• 08:46 – Unlearning everything

• 09:20 – Daily practices: waking up at 3:30 a.m.

• 11:06 – Healing family relationships without expectations

• 13:33 – Talking to his daughters and focusing on the next generation

• 14:17 – What Jose tells customers at the coffee counter

• 15:17 – Daily mindset reminders

• 17:10 – Part 2: Inside the Homegirl Cafe

• 17:28 – Starting as a dishwasher in the back

• 18:35 – Becoming a barista by accident

• 19:21 – Overcoming insecurity about facial scars

• 20:38 – Why the coffee counter removes barriers

• 22:20 – When a mother shared her son’s death

• 24:06 – Helping people straight out of jail with a free meal

Notable Quotes

• “ If I wanted something different in life, I had to do something different.” — Jose [03:35]

• “I wanted to be the person my daughters needed me to be” — Jose [02:47]

• “I had to unlearn everything.” — Jose [09:07]

Resources and Links

Homeboy Industries

• https://homeboyindustries.org/

• https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videos

• Donate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/

Homeboy Media 

• https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/

Jose Leon

• linkedin.com/in/jleon77

Thomas Vozzo

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzo

• The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456X

Credits:

Hosted by: Tom Vozzo

Produced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media

A Hollywood actor spent years trying to get through the doors of Homeboy Industries. Not as a client. Not as a case manager. Just as someone who felt drawn to a place she did not fully understand. Camilla Belle had heard Father Greg speak at her church, seen the logo around Los Angeles, and had friends on the inside. But she still needed someone to take her by the hand.

In this episode, Tom Vozzo sits down with Camilla to hear the full story, from Mommy & Me classes at Jane Fonda's workout studio to finally getting the tour at Homeboy. She describes her first morning meeting as indescribable: the prayer, the celebrations, the bake sales. That single visit turned into a board seat, a PA training class, and a van ride with a homie who trusted her with his entire life story.

Camilla did not come from gangs or prison. She came from Hollywood. And that turned out to be enough. Because at Homeboy, kinship does not require a shared past. Just a willingness to show up, listen, and believe in second chances.

Key Takeaways

• Morning meeting is the heartbeat of Homeboy

  Camilla describes it as indescribable, a celebration of life, community, and positivity that stays with you. From prayer to bake sales, everyone should experience it.

• Second chances are irresistible.

  Camilla was drawn to Homeboy not despite the fear people feel, but because of it. Father Greg's message about giving people another chance spoke to her deeply.

• You don't need a shared past to belong

  Many look at Homeboy and think, "I have nothing in common." But inside those doors, there's no judgment. We're all human.

• Listening is a privilege.

  During a board activation day, Camilla sat in the front of a van and listened as a homie told her his whole story, incarceration, family, and kids. She felt lucky he trusted her.

• Homeboy doesn't give anything away.

  No handouts. You work hard, show up, go through the 18-month program, and dedicate yourself to change. Homeboy gives second, third, and fourth chances as many as it takes.

In This Episode:

• 00:00 – Introduction

• 00:45 – How Camilla got involved with Homeboy

• 03:25 – First impressions: the morning meeting

• 05:25 – Philanthropy and motivation to join Homeboy

• 07:02 – Finding common ground and human connection

• 08:41 – Homeboy Media Group and workforce development

• 09:07 – PA training class experience

• 11:22 – Navigating the entertainment industry and social media

• 13:06 – Lessons learned from Father Greg Boyle

• 14:40 – Applying Homeboy lessons to everyday life

• 15:26 – Jane Fonda’s influence and activism

• 17:37 – Encouraging advocacy and activism

• 19:28 – Building relationships and volunteering

• 20:17 – Family support and memorable Homeboy stories

• 22:04 – Hope for the future and second chances

• 24:00 – The importance of second chances

• 25:25 – Board member experience

• 27:39 – Podcast closing

Notable Quotes

• “You walk in here and you say, there's no judgment..” — Camilla [08:08]

• “If you believe in it, you're going to show up.” — Camilla [15:54]

• “Get off your phone, talk to people.” — Camilla [17:45]

• “Slow yourself down and just be available and listen.” — Camilla [21:53]

Resources and Links

Homeboy Industries

• https://homeboyindustries.org/

• https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videos

• Donate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/

Homeboy Media 

• https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/

Camilla Belle

• https://www.instagram.com/camillabelle/

Thomas Vozzo

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzo

• The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456X

Credits:

Hosted by: Tom Vozzo

Produced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media

Imagine your children being taken from your home at gunpoint. That searing, shame-filled moment becomes the catalyst. Not for more destruction, but for a journey that leads you from prison yards to the director’s chair, and eventually, to finding freedom in a sun-drenched square in Barcelona. This is Natalie’s story.

In this episode of The Homeboy Way, host Tom Vozzo sits down with Natalie Venegas, Director of Case Management at Homeboy Industries, her son Daniel Aguilar, and longtime Homeboy leader Hector Verdugo to explore the long arc of transformation and generational healing. Natalie reflects on her 15-year journey from leaving prison as a four-time felon, carrying the trauma of her children being taken at gunpoint, to rising into senior leadership while pursuing clinical licensure. She shares how addiction, rejection, and survival masks once shaped her life, and how therapy, education, and unconditional love helped her learn how to live, parent, and lead. Daniel offers his perspective on choosing recovery for himself, while Hector reflects on witnessing Natalie’s evolution firsthand. Together, their stories reveal how kinship and consistency reshape not just individual lives, but entire family trajectories.

Key Takeaways

• Healing begins when survival ends

  Natalie shares how emotional shutdown and stoicism kept her alive but also kept her stuck. Healing began only when she felt safe enough to be vulnerable.

• Consistency builds trust where words cannot

  Homeboy’s steady presence taught Natalie how to be consistent for herself, her children, and others, something she never experienced growing up.

• Unconditional love creates capacity 

  Being loved without prerequisites allowed Natalie to believe in herself, pursue education, enter therapy, and step into leadership.

• Healing is generational 

  Daniel’s recovery is connected to his mother’s healing. Homeboy’s model shows how helping one person reshapes an entire family’s future.

• You cannot do it alone, and you are not meant to 

  Walking alongside others through sponsors, staff, and peers makes transformation sustainable and real.

In This Episode:

• 00:00 – Introduction

• 00:42 – Natalie’s early years and repeated incarceration

• 02:09 – Being taken from her children at gunpoint

• 03:59 – Choosing not to numb out in prison

• 06:28 – A letter from her son that changed everything

• 08:09 – The Greyhound bus, temptation, and choosing sobriety

• 10:36 – Entering a program and first encounters with Homeboy

• 12:18 – “You don’t fit our profile”: misjudgment and persistence

• 14:58 – Vulnerability breaks through stoicism

• 17:22 – Learning how to live on the outside

• 18:36 – Education, therapy, and discovering a calling

• 21:10 – From survival to service

• 23:09 – Daniel shares his recovery journey

• 28:25 – Parenting, boundaries, and letting go

• 31:26 – How Homeboy changes entire family trajectories

• 33:01 – Traveling the world as formerly incarcerated leaders

• 35:26 – Belonging without labels

Notable Quotes

• “I didn’t know how to live out here. I knew how to hustle, but not how to be a mom.” — Natalie Venegas [17:02]

• “I’m the only one who’s going to fix my life.” — Daniel Aguilar [26:35]

• “Homeboy loves people, gives people hugs until they learn how to love themselves.” — Natalie [23:01]

Resources and Links

Homeboy Industries

• https://homeboyindustries.org/

• https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videos

• Donate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/

Homeboy Media 

• https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/

Natalie Venegas

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-venegas-1327b0a3/

Hector Verdugo

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/hector-verdugo-7297a684

Thomas Vozzo

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzo

• The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456X

Credits:

Hosted by: Tom Vozzo

Produced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media

When Robert Valles first walked through the doors of Homeboy Industries, he wasn’t looking for healing. He was looking for a job. After more than fifteen interviews and repeated rejection because of his federal record, he arrived skeptical and unsure of what to expect.

What he found instead was something he had never experienced before: a place where people are, in his words, “paid to heal.”

In this episode, Tom Vozzo and Hector Verdugo sit down with Robert to reflect on the long road that brought him there. Once a gang member and federal prisoner, Robert spent years numbing pain through addiction. When sobriety finally forced him to face his life, he was confronted with shame, loss, and the devastating moment his children were taken away.

Not knowing where his kids were for forty days became the turning point that pushed him to surrender and change.

Today, Robert serves as a Case Manager, helping others rebuild their lives. His story reveals how healing begins, how love can feel unfamiliar at first, and how serving others can become a powerful form of recovery.

Key Takeaways

• When a federal record becomes a barrier

  Robert went on 15 job interviews before coming to Homeboy. Despite being likable and qualified, his federal record, which can never be expunged, kept doors closed until he found Homeboy.

• Getting paid to heal

  Robert was initially upset about the low pay. But through self-help classes, he discovered: "You get paid in a different way here. I'm getting paid to heal." His story now helps others heal, too.

• Healing as a couple, with boundaries

  Robert was skeptical about doing the program with his wife. But it worked because they understood: "You have your program, I have my program. Once we're healed, then maybe we can heal our marriage."

• "If I could do it, you could do it"

  Robert tells trainees daily: "Gang member, incarcerated, addicted 20 years, kids taken away. If there's a box, check it." His lived experience gives others hope.

• A touch of love makes a difference

  People who experienced even some love in childhood recognize it at Homeboy and thrive quickly. That thread of love, however tangled, matters.

• When there is no love, healing takes longer

  Those who were tortured as kids, who experienced no love, often leave when shown love. They return, leave again, and stay longer each time. Healing just takes more time.

In This Episode:

• 00:00 – Introduction

• 00:53 – Robert’s role and journey at Homeboy

• 02:43 – Transformation from gang life

• 03:26 – Ozzy the Navigator moment

• 04:50 – Getting paid to heal 

• 05:20 – Determination to get his children back

• 06:09 – Skepticism about his wife joining

• 07:15 – What Robert tells new trainees

• 11:33 – Confronting shame

• 12:44 – Watching his children walk away

• 13:11 – Faith, surrender, and recovery

• 16:36 – Restoring relationships with children

• 18:05 – Breaking generational cycles

• 19:25 – Robert’s future goals in 5-10 years 

• 20:31 – Growing up with addiction and abuse in the home

• 22:48 – The power of love and healing at Homeboy

• 26:29 – The future of Homeboy is strong

Notable Quotes

• “I'm getting paid to heal.” — Robert [04:55]

• “If I could do it, you could do it because I'm no different from you.” — Robert 

• [07:18]

• “ Just that simple, are you okay? And how are you doing today? Could change your life..” — Robert [07:59]

• “ My fear as a parent is my kids growing up doing what I was doing.” — Robert  [18:05]

Resources and Links

Homeboy Industries

• https://homeboyindustries.org/

• https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videos

• Donate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/

Homeboy Media 

• https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/

Hector Verdugo

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/hector-verdugo

Thomas Vozzo

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzo

• The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456X

Credits:

Hosted by: Tom Vozzo

Produced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media

At Homeboy Industries, healing rarely happens through a single method. It unfolds through therapy, community, compassion, and the steady presence of people who care.

In this episode, Tom Vozzo sits down with Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. to explore how healing really happens for people carrying deep trauma. Fr. Greg describes it as the “cumulative dosing effect of cherishing” when someone is consistently seen, known, and valued. Yet that kind of love can feel overwhelming. Some homies even walk away at first because they do not know how to receive it.

Fr. Greg reflects on the early days of Homeboy, when therapy carried heavy stigma. Today, the demand is so great that there are waiting lists. He shares stories of people wrestling with addiction, hearing voices, and confronting wounds they once tried to bury.

Through decades of experience, Fr. Greg reveals a deeper truth. Healing does not happen only in therapy. It happens in a community where people discover they are no longer alone.

Key Takeaways

• Overwhelm from love is real.

  Fr. Greg shares about a homie who left Homeboy not because things were bad, but because he “didn’t know how to handle all the love.” For people used to trauma, steady care and belonging can feel unfamiliar or overwhelming, so some leave and return when they are ready.

• Community dosing surrounds and amplifies therapy.

  Beyond methods like talk therapy and EMDR, healing also happens through daily relationships. Consistent care from staff, mentors, and volunteers helps build resilience.

• The three profiles of gang members (and all of us).

  Fr. Greg breaks down that everyone falls into one of three categories: despair (can't imagine a future), trauma (high ACEs score), or mental illness.

• Luck and privilege shape our lives more than we admit.

  Fr. Greg reminds us that success is not only about hard work. Many benefit from unseen advantages, and recognizing this can foster humility and compassion.

In This Episode:

• 00:00 – Introduction 

• 01:00 –  How healing happens

• 02:28 – Why therapy must be voluntary

• 03:09 –  The early days and the need for therapy at Homeboy (ACEs)

• 05:50 – What surrendering to healing looks like

• 07:44 – When love feels overwhelming

• 09:14 –  Challenges finding therapists and homies to try therapy

• 12:29 – The rise of therapy and volunteer clinicians

• 14:35 – Listening and loving as the foundation of healing

• 16:05 – Alternative therapies and healing experiences

• 20:32 – Why there is no “one-size-fits-all” healing

• 23:37 – Compassion and forgiveness in the healing process

• 26:38 – What it means to be a “stranger to yourself”

• 30:43 – Three profiles of gang members

• 33:44 – Excavating generational wounds in everyday life

• 36:31 – The role of luck, privilege, and circumstance

• 38:46 – Reducing stigma around mental health

• 40:35 – Mental illness and societal misunderstanding

• 45:39 – Why healing is reliable and ongoing

Notable Quotes

• “I don't think healing is so formulaic. I think if you believe in how the cumulative dosing effect of cherishing is, you can observe it.” — Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. [01:00]

• “Listen, listen. Love, love.” — Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. [14:01]

• “If you don’t welcome your own wound, you will be tempted to despise the wounded.” — Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. [28:01]

• “How do you transform your pain so you no longer transmit it?” — Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. [31:41]

Homeboy Industries

• https://homeboyindustries.org/

• https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videos

• Donate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/

Homeboy Media 

• https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/

Father Greg Boyle

• linkedin.com/in/greg-boyle-s-j-05458514

Thomas Vozzo

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzo

• The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456X

Credits:

Hosted by: Tom Vozzo

Produced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media

Jane Fonda, Oscar-winning actress and lifelong activist, first learned about Homeboy Industries in the 1980s through her then-husband, Tom Hayden. He came home energized by a Jesuit priest who had opened a bakery employing formerly incarcerated gang members. Years later, at a Homeboy gala, she finally heard Father Greg Boyle speak and knew she wanted to be part of something so transformative.

In this episode, Tom Vozzo sits down with Jane to reflect on her seven years as a board member and what continues to draw her to a community built on healing and second chances. She shares how walking through Homeboy’s doors feels like “sinking into a warm bath,” and why, at 88, she still finds herself learning from the homegirls she calls “smarter than me in so many ways.” For Jane, leadership begins with humility, and real change starts by listening from the heart.

Key Takeaways

• Jobs are not enough. Healing comes first. 

  Father Greg realized quickly that employment alone would not create lasting change. Deep trauma, left unaddressed, leads people back into trouble. Homeboy evolved into a healing-centered community where recovery comes before placement.

• Cherish, don’t judge.

  To cherish someone is to fully receive them into your heart. Healing begins there.

• Transformation requires proximity. 

  It's wonderful when rich people throw money out from their homes up on the hill to people who need it," Jane says. Generosity from a distance is good. But real change happens shoulder to shoulder. Being present, listening, and building relationships transforms everyone involved.

• Hate the behavior, not the person

  Bad behavior is often the language of trauma. You can reject harm while still honoring human dignity.

• We give because we see ourselves. 

  Homeboy’s mission resonates because we are all broken in some way. Watching others heal reminds us that transformation is possible for us too.

• Women are the glue. 

  "In every class, in every rung of society, and in every ethnicity and race in the world, it's women that hold things together. They're the glue for families and for communities."

• Life with meaning is better. 

  Jane has lived without meaning and with meaning. "I know that the meaning is a lot better. 

In This Episode:

• 00:00 – Introduction

• 01:46 – How Jane Fonda first found Father Greg and Homeboy Bakery

• 03:41 – From the Homeboy Bakery to a healing-centered model

• 04:40 – "I need whatever that secret sauce is"

• 06:05 – Kinship and mutuality with people on the margins

• 08:48 – What Jane learns from homegirls

• 13:09 – The meaning of cherishing

• 15:54 – Ignatian spirituality at Homeboy

• 18:32 – Funding the mission

• 19:51 – Gangsters, leaders, and the pressure of machismo

• 21:32 – Homeboy’s culture shift: from toughness to tears

• 22:09 – Poverty, business hiring, and “show by doing”

• 23:30 – Jane Fonda’s activist origin story

• 26:19 – The urgency of activism today

• 28:19 – What Jane would tell her younger self

• 30:06 – The Global Homeboy Network

Notable Quotes

• “ Bad behavior, even evil behavior is the language of the traumatized.” — Jane [07:25]

• " Avoid violence. Violence is our enemy." — Jane [28:04]

• “ Cherished, to me is even greater than love means I've brought you fully into my full heart in every possible way.” — Jane [13:42]

• “I've lived without meaning, and I've lived with meaning, and I know that the meaning is a lot better.”— Jane [29:19] 

Resources and Links

Homeboy Industries

• https://homeboyindustries.org/

• https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videos

• Donate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/

Homeboy Media 

• https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/

Jane Fonda

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-fonda-2408b4302/

Thomas Vozzo

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzo

• The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456X

Credits:

Hosted by: Tom Vozzo

Produced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media

When Tom Vozzo first walked into Homeboy Industries more than 12 years ago, he was skeptical. “Shouldn’t we be doing work here at ‘Industries’?” he wondered, seeing art classes throughout the building.

In this episode, Tom sits down with Fabian Debora, Executive Director of the Homeboy Art Academy, and Program Manager Barbara Fant to explore how art reaches wounds words cannot and why creativity is central to Homeboy’s model of healing and belonging.

Fabian shares how, as a child hiding from domestic violence, drawing became his refuge, a sanctuary that carried him through addiction, recovery, and ultimately national recognition as a Heritage Fellow with the National Endowment for the Arts. Barbara reflects on losing her mother at fifteen and turning grief into poetry, using verse as both prayer and therapy.

Through the Art Academy, rival youth create side by side, guided by Fabian’s Three R’s: Reconnect, Re-identify, and Reimagine.

Key Takeaways

• Art is refuge

  As a child, Fabian learned art did not just express him, it held him. Hiding under a coffee table from violence, he found safety and hope. That same refuge is what the Art Academy now offers every young person who enters.

• Mentorship restores what shame steals. 

  When a teacher destroyed Fabian’s artwork, Father Greg Boyle saw him for who he truly was and gave art back. That moment of being seen and reassured that his gift mattered changed everything.

• Poetry can be prayer.

  At 15, without therapy, Barbara turned sermon notes into poems, using them to grieve, pray, and make sense of losing her mother.

• Healing is intentional.

  The Art Academy practices a healing-centered approach: circles, reflection, the three R’s, creative exercises aligned with specific aspects of healing, and structured closing reflections.

• Identity can evolve.

  The young man known for his face tattoo begins with gang writing and gradually discovers artistry, leadership, and gentleness within himself.

In This Episode:

• 00:00 – Introduction

• 01:26 – Fabian’s childhood and art as refuge

• 03:32 – Mentorship and artistic development

• 05:28 – Barbara’s story: poetry as prayer

• 11:03 – The Homeboy Art Academy

• 12:32 – Healing-centered approach and the three R’s

• 14:25 – Community, safety, and transformation

• 16:29 – Co-designing the Academy’s modality

• 18:09 – Stories of transformation: Giselle and Jesus

• 20:13 – Managing gang dynamics and building kinship

• 21:55 – Team approach and wraparound services

• 24:03 – Challenges of the work

• 27:07 – Resilience and returning youth

• 28:17 – Fabian’s artistic recognition and advocacy

• 30:21 – Barbara’s writing and influence of Homeboy

• 31:52 – Future vision: accredited school of art

• 32:44 – Graffiti, tagging, and artistic expression

Notable Quotes

• “People really do heal through the arts.” — Tom [01:16]

• "Art gave me a sense of purpose, existence, and, most importantly, hope." — Fabian [02:08]

• “ I started writing as just this way of processing, of talking to God and of prayer.” — Barbara [07:14]

• “The toughest part of the job has been the heartbreak.”— Tom [26:23] 

Resources and Links

Homeboy Industries

• https://homeboyindustries.org/

• https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videos

• Donate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/

Homeboy Media 

• https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/

Barbara  Fant

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-fant-mfa-8114b633/

• https://homeboyindustries.org/services/art-academy/

Fabian Debora

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabian-debora-886279a/

• https://homeboyindustries.org/services/art-academy/

Thomas Vozzo

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzo

• The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456X

Credits:

Hosted by: Tom Vozzo

Produced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media

In this episode, Tom Vozzo sits down with comedian and podcaster Pete Holmes to talk about faith, belonging, and spirituality. Pete shares how discovering Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. and Homeboy Industries reshaped not just his theology, but the way he walks on stage. Before performing, he often listens to Father Greg to remind himself that “we belong to each other,” shifting comedy from performance to kinship.

Pete reflects on coming from the Christian tradition, where being the center of attention can feel almost wicked, like becoming the “special boy.” Comedy, he explains, is not that. He will play the role of the special performer, and the audience plays their role too. But underneath it all, it is just a connection. It is all just sunlight wearing different masks.

Reflecting on the story of the prodigal son, Pete explains that you cannot be more of the man’s son in the kingdom and less his son with the pigs. It is about accepting that you are accepted. You are already in. They talk about staying soft when things go wrong, letting anger move through without shame, and resisting the urge to create “the other.”

Key Takeaways

• We are sunlight wearing different masks.

  Pete looks at the audience and does not see strangers. He sees himself in different forms. Each person carries quiet burdens, love and hurt, generosity and selfishness. 

• The gospel draws a crowd.

  Pete observes that Homeboy’s lobby feels like Disneyland or summer camp. That pull, he argues, is the real sign of the sacred.

• Pain is not a competition. Your shit is your shit.

  Pete almost minimizes his own story beside another’s trauma, then realizes suffering is not a scoreboard. Healing begins when we stop ranking wounds and start honoring them.

• Want to know you’re accepted? Start accepting others.

  You can't be more the man's son when you're in the kingdom and less his son when you're with the pigs. Tom watched Greg Boyle pause with wealthy donors to attend to a homie with a simple question. Acceptance is not a reward. It’s a practice we extend, especially to the least visible.

• Grace is getting it wrong and being loved anyway.

  Tom’s tree story captures the ache of good intentions missing the mark. That tender space between intent and impact is where grace lives.

• Hating the other is hating yourself.

  When we label anyone disposable, we quietly say the same about ourselves. Loving those cast aside brings the hidden parts of us back to life.

In This Episode:

• 00:00 – Introduction

• 00:53 – Getting involved with Homeboy

• 01:22 – Connecting with Fr. Richard Rohr and Fr. Greg Boyle

• 03:16 – The impact of Homeboy’s teachings

• 04:45 – Performing with compassion

• 07:43 – Lessons from Homeboy

• 16:11 – The power of acceptance and belonging

• 22:39 – Balancing help and personal boundaries

• 27:17 – Spiritual teachings and reflections

• 29:03 – The value of vulnerability

• 29:55 – A humbling medical experience

• 30:44 – Embracing brokenness

• 34:14 – Spirituality in the corporate world

• 35:05 – Discovering true spirituality

• 42:05 – The role of psychedelics in spiritual awakening

Notable Quotes

• “Every single one of you has an unseen burden.” — Pete Holmes [05:09]

• "We're all just sunlight wearing different masks." — Pete Holmes [05:43]

• “If you want to know you're accepted, start by accepting others.” — Tom [25:11]

Resources and Links

Homeboy Industries

• https://homeboyindustries.org/

• https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videos

• Donate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/

Homeboy Media 

• https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/

Pete Holmes

• https://peteholmes.com/

• https://www.youtube.com/user/peteholmes

Thomas Vozzo

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzo

• The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456X

Credits:

Hosted by: Tom Vozzo

Produced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media

In this episode, Tom Vozzo sits down with renowned Franciscan priest and author Fr. Richard Rohr to explore the emotional and spiritual journey behind anger, sadness, and healing. Fr. Richard explains why so many people, especially men, get stuck in anger and how that reaction often covers a much deeper sadness.

Their discussion naturally connects to the lived experiences at Homeboy Industries, where individuals arrive carrying both grief and the desire for a new beginning. Fr. Richard shares why welcoming our sorrow is not weakness but a pathway to compassion, transformation, and spiritual maturity. The result is a warm, honest, and deeply human conversation about what it truly means to grow, to heal, and to become more whole.

Key Takeaways

• Real transformation begins when anger gives way to sadness.

  Most people think prophets were angry men. Rohr explains they actually began in anger but moved into sadness and ultimately into compassion, mirroring the inner journey many at Homeboy take.

• Grief is not weakness; it is the soul’s entrance into maturity.

  Cultures throughout history had rites teaching boys how to weep. Rohr recounts the Maasai “caves of grief,” where warriors learned that tears were strength, not failure.

• Control is the enemy of healing.

  Trying to control emotions keeps people stuck in anger. Letting go allows sadness to rise, which is the pathway to compassion.

• Suffering is unavoidable and essential.

  Whether it is the death of a loved one, loss of a pet, or inherited trauma, every person experiences pain. Rohr argues that grief, felt honestly, is the starting point of a real spiritual journey.

• Joy comes only after walking through grief.

  True joy is not positive thinking. It is what emerges when we release judgment, righteousness, and the need to perfect the world and ourselves.

In This Episode:

• 00:00 – Introduction to The Homeboy Way

• 01:04 – The spiritual lessons of Homeboy and Fr. Richard's writings

• 01:43 – Why the soul must weep: Anger, sadness, and the prophetic journey

• 06:19 – Why men don't weep and how to learn

• 10:42 – Grief as initiation: The Men's Rites of Passage and PTSD

• 14:13 – What the poor know: A critical lens on society and success

• 18:31 – The necessity of suffering and exile for transformation

• 24:30 – Wholeness vs. perfection and the "wounded warrior"

• 27:48 – Occam's Razor: Why the simplest answer is Love

• 33:13 – Certitude vs. faith in spirituality and politics

• 36:04 – From lamentation to doxology: Where true joy is found

• 39:47 – Conclusion and gratitude

Notable Quotes

• "You're much more sad than you are angry." — Fr. Richard Rohr (04:36)

• "The ego likes to be angry. It gives you a false sense of power and superiority" — Fr. Richard Rohr (09:02)

• "The simplest answer is invariably and almost always the correct one… The answer to everything is love." — Fr. Richard Rohr on Occam's Razor (28:35)

• "The opposite of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is certitude." — Fr. Richard Rohr (33:17)

• "We come to God more by doing it wrong than by doing it right." — Fr. Richard Rohr  (38:12)

Resources and Links

Homeboy Industries

• https://homeboyindustries.org/

• https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videos

• Donate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/

Homeboy Media 

• https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/

Fr. Richard Rohr

• https://cac.org/about/cac-faculty/cac-founder-richard-rohr/

• https://cac.org/

• Daily Meditations: https://cac.org/daily-meditations/

• Books: "The Universal Christ," "Falling Upward," "The Wisdom Pattern," and his latest discussed, "The Tears of Things.

Thomas Vozzo

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzo

• The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456X

Credits:

Hosted by: Tom Vozzo

Produced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media

In this episode of The Homeboy Way, host Tom Vozzo sits down with Homeboy leaders Hector and Stephanie for a raw, unfiltered conversation about policing, childhood trauma, and the long road from survival to kinship.

Through deeply personal stories, they explore how early encounters with law enforcement shaped fear, anger, and identity and how Homeboy Industries created a radical alternative: a place where healing requires moving beyond “us vs. them” and choosing to be fully in, even when it’s uncomfortable.

This episode doesn’t simplify pain or excuse harm. Instead, it names the wounds honestly while asking a harder question: What does it take to heal without becoming what hurt you?

Key Takeaways

• “We’re In”: Choosing Kinship Over Division

  Hector explains the turning point at Homeboy Industries: realizing the work only functions when everyone commits fully. Not partially. Not conditionally. “It’s not about us and them. It’s just us.” True transformation begins when people decide they’re all in, including with former enemies and authority figures.

• Seeing Law Enforcement as Human Without Erasing Harm

  Hector reflects on learning to hold two truths at once: acknowledging abuse while recognizing the humanity of those in uniform.Healing, he explains, doesn’t mean pretending harm didn’t happen, it means refusing to let it define the future.

• Choosing Restraint in the Face of Old Rage

  Hector shares a moment years later when he encounters a police officer who had deeply harmed his family. His body reacts instantly but he chooses to walk away. This illustrates the quiet, invisible work of healing: regulating yourself when every instinct tells you to explode.

• From Fear of Beatings to Fear of Death

  Stephanie contrasts past and present policing realities. Where earlier generations expected brutality, today’s communities fear being killed especially during mental health or domestic calls. This connects the rise in aggression, distrust, and hyper-vigilance to a deeper, collective fear that has only intensified since COVID.

• Wearing Homeboy in Public: From Target to Signal

  Stephanie explains why she once avoided wearing Homeboy gear in her neighborhood and how that changed as law enforcement began to understand the mission. This moment reflects the broader shift in how Homeboy Industries is perceived: no longer a “soft place for gang members,” but a proven model of transformation.

In This Episode:

• 00:00 – Introduction

• 00:57 – Hector’s experience with police

• 12:15 – Stephanie’s experience with police

• 16:58 – Interactions with law enforcement

• 17:33 – The current state of the streets

• 18:48 – The impact of COVID-19 on gang violence

• 19:47 – Fear and aggression

• 20:59 – Police brutality then and now

• 22:32 – Advice for dealing with police

• 23:57 – Homeboy Industries’ changing perception

• 25:18 – Hopes for Homeboy Industries’ future

• 28:27 – The importance of resources and experiences

• 33:07 – Concluding thoughts

Notable Quotes

• “It’s not about us and them. It’s just us.” — Hector [05:20]

• “I grew up believing the police were going to hurt us.” — Stephanie [13:59]

• “Healing doesn’t mean forgetting. It means choosing differently.” — Hector [17:30]

• “This place is home. It’s the last stop for a lot of us.” — Stephanie [25:18]

Resources and Links

Homeboy Industries

• https://homeboyindustries.org/

• https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videos

• Donate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/

Homeboy Media 

• https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/

Stephanie Lane

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-lane-757052284/

Hector Verdugo

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/hector-verdugo-7297a684/

Thomas Vozzo

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzo

• The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456X

Credits:

Hosted by: Tom Vozzo

Produced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media