Episodes

  • Turning Survival Into Leadership with Miguel Lugo

    Turning Survival Into Leadership with Miguel Lugo
    Jan 21 2026
    Miguel Lugo came to Homeboy Industries looking for help removing a chest tattoo that had defined his violent past and kept him trapped long after prison. After serving 18 years behind bars, starting at age 18, Miguel walked through Homeboy’s doors just days after his release. He stood outside for hours, unsure if he was ready to let go of the identity that once kept him alive but was now holding him back.In this episode of The Homeboy Way, Tom Vozzo sits down with Miguel, Community Relations and Head of Security at Homeboy Industries, to trace his journey from a life shaped by violence to one rooted in presence, accountability, and care. Miguel shares how tattoo removal became a path to reclaiming himself, how spiritual practices like sweat lodge ceremonies sustained him in prison, and how therapy helped him confront when harm became acceptable. Today, Miguel stands on the sidewalk welcoming newcomers, diffusing conflict, and walking with people before they ever enter the building. His story shows how deep personal healing becomes sacred work and how choosing love, again and again, turns survival into leadership.Key TakeawaysTattoo Removal as FreedomRemoving gang tattoos was not about jobs. It was about shedding an identity rooted in harm and reclaiming self-ownership.The Power of the SidewalkMany people hesitate before entering Homeboy. Healing often begins outside the door through presence, listening, and trust.Community Relations = Walking With, Not WatchingMiguel reframes safety as walking with people, not watching them, creating belonging instead of fear.Spiritual Practice as SurvivalSweat lodge ceremonies in prison offered grounding, humility, and a connection to identity beyond incarceration.Therapy and the Courage to Ask WhyHealing deepened when Miguel confronted the question of when harming others became acceptable.From Violence to BufferBy stepping between conflict and naming people with care, Miguel and his team prevent harm before it escalates.In This Episode:00:00 – Introduction00:25 – Miguel’s journey begins01:08 – First steps at Homeboy03:06 – Tattoo removal and transformation06:01 – Leaving the gang life behind08:09 – Helping others and building community18:52 – Navigating challenges and misconceptions21:39 – Changing lives for a better future21:59 – Interactions with politicians24:44 – Building a new home26:52 – Spiritual journey and sweat lodges30:42 – Overcoming trauma and finding freedom38:05 – Passion for classic cars42:12 – Final reflections and gratitudeNotable Quotes“Am I okay cleaning toilets? ... I give it a shot.” — Miguel [02:21]“ In tattoo removal, the main thing it got is the freedom from yourself of who you were before.” — Miguel [05:30]“ A lot of people still call it security, but we don't. We like community relations because it does something different. I'm not here to watch you, I'm here to walk with you.” — Miguel [11:53]“In the sweat lodge, I was able to humble myself and give myself up to God.” — Miguel [31:51]“My job now is to be water to fire.”— Miguel [35:33]]Resources and LinksHomeboy Industrieshttps://homeboyindustries.org/https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videosDonate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/Homeboy Media https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/Miguel Lugohttps://homeboyindustries.org/transformation_story/miguel-lugo-2/Thomas Vozzohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzoThe Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456XCredits:Hosted by: Tom VozzoProduced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media
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    43 mins
  • Brewing Hope: Social Enterprise and Ownership the Homeboy Way with Mike de la Rocha and Jose Arellano (Owners of Tepito Coffee)

    Brewing Hope: Social Enterprise and Ownership the Homeboy Way with Mike de la Rocha and Jose Arellano (Owners of Tepito Coffee)
    Jan 14 2026
    How do you build a business that puts healing, culture, and opportunity first while still making a profit? In this episode of The Homeboy Way, Tom Vozzo sits down with Tepito Coffee co-owners Jose Arellano, Vice President of Operations at Homeboy Industries, and Mike de la Rocha, co-founder of Revolve Impact, to discuss social enterprises, specifically the challenges and successes of running Tepito Coffee. They delve into the significance of providing purposeful structure for those leaving gang life and the pivotal role of social enterprises in creating job opportunities. Tom recounts the creation of the Homeboy Ventures and Jobs Fund, a crucial step in supporting these enterprises. Mike and Jose share their journey from initial struggles, receiving investment, to finding success while staying true to their mission. Through personal stories and lessons learned, they highlight the importance of intentionality, community support, and the transformative power of giving back.Key TakeawaysMission Meets Market RealityRunning a for-profit social enterprise requires tough accountability alongside unwavering support. It's the "next level" after Homeboy's safety net preparing people for the real workforce.Access to Capital Changes EverythingPredatory loans and exclusionary investors nearly ended the business. Homeboy's low-interest investment provided not just funds, but expertise and belief in modest, impactful returns.Homegrown Leadership Is PossibleFrom trainee to VP to co-owner: Jose's journey shows what's achievable when organizations invest in internal talent, inspiring others to dream of ownership.Trauma-Informed Business Takes PatienceHiring system-impacted staff means embracing setbacks, offering dignity in tough conversations, and always leaving the door open for return.Cultural Pride Drives SuccessUnapologetically Chicano and Indigenous branding, combined with specialty quality and authentic storytelling, builds loyal community and disrupts who gets to succeed in coffee.In This Episode:00:00 – Introduction 01:15 – Tom's journey with Homeboy05:28 – The birth of Tepito Coffee15:29 – The struggle for investment and support21:56 – Building a brand with purpose23:56 – The spirit of Homeboy: connecting to the earth and each other24:41 – Training with intentionality: customer service at Tepito Coffee25:18 – Marketing with pride: embracing Chicano and Indigenous roots25:45 – Investing in community: long-term returns beyond capitalism26:23 – Success stories: from barista to business owner28:48 – Balancing accountability and compassion41:13 – Future growth: expanding Tepito Coffee's impactNotable Quotes“ If you have a good product and an authentic story and be unapologetically yourself, you can create a good brand identity and community.” — Mike [06:25]“ I've always been clear studying Homeboy Industries, that the future is in social entrepreneurship.”— Mike [07:51]“ First, you gotta know how to run a business. Then you can decide how to make it a social enterprise.” — Tom [19:15]“ I felt not just rescued by Homeboy, but actually like I felt swooped up by God.” — Jose [38:03]Resources and LinksHomeboy Industrieshttps://homeboyindustries.org/https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videosDonate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/Homeboy Media https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/Tepito CoffeeVisit: 695 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CAOnline: https://www.tepitocoffee.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tepitocoffee/Mike de la Rochalinkedin.com/in/mrmikedelarochahttps://www.revolveimpact.com/Jose Arellanolinkedin.com/in/jose-arellano-001966a0Thomas Vozzohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzoThe Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456XCredits:Hosted by: Tom VozzoProduced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media
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    43 mins
  • Mission Over Margin: Rethinking Social Enterprise the Homeboy Way with Gayle Northrop and Steve Delgado

    Mission Over Margin: Rethinking Social Enterprise the Homeboy Way with Gayle Northrop and Steve Delgado
    Jan 7 2026
    How do you run a real business when your primary mission is healing, kinship, and transformation? In this episode, Tom Vozzo is joined by Homeboy Industries Co-CEO Steve Delgado and longtime advisor Gayle Northrop to explore the social enterprises at the heart of Homeboy.Their conversation centers on people, not products. People coming home from prison. People who have never held a formal job. People carrying trauma alongside hope and a desire to belong. At Homeboy, businesses are designed around that reality, not in spite of it.They explore the tension between mission and margin, speaking honestly about the real costs of being trauma-informed and the courage it takes to invest in people before the world believes they are ready. They reflect on bakeries that employ twice the usual staff, leaders grown from within, and workplaces built on dignity, structure, and accountability.This is lived experience, not theory. A reminder that at Homeboy, businesses exist to serve healing, and when people are met with kinship and structure, they rise together with their community.Key TakeawaysThe Foundational Principle“We don’t employ people to bake bread. We bake bread to employ people.” The social enterprises exist to provide purposeful, healing-centric work.Mission Over Margin Is a Daily ChoiceHomeboy runs real businesses in real markets, but mission always leads. Profit serves people, not the other way around.Social Enterprise Is About Disrupting SystemsTrue social enterprise challenges who is seen as employable and redefines value in the workforce.Trauma-Informed Workplaces Require Structure, Not SlogansBeing trauma-informed means building roles, teams, and systems that support healing, not just good intentions.Investment in People Is the Hard WorkRaising leaders from within takes time, patience, training, and a willingness to walk alongside people through setbacks.Everyone Doesn’t Automatically Know How to Work Employment success depends on stability, resources, transportation, support, and grace, not just effort.In This Episode:00:00 – Introduction 00:30 – Understanding social enterprises03:00 – Homeboy’s unique approach to social enterprise06:59 – Balancing mission and margin18:27 – Trauma-informed workplaces23:18 – Healing-centric workforce development24:14 – The challenges of homegrown leadership25:41 – Investing in internal talent30:42 – The realities of running a social enterprise34:42 – Breaking conventional business wisdom42:00 – Supporting upward mobility through education and opportunity44:20 – Closing reflections and future conversationsNotable Quotes“We don’t employ people to bake bread. We bake bread to employ people.” — Gayle [14:34]“ 95% of our full-time staff who operate and manage our social enterprises have come up through our program.” — Steve [04:54]“ Mission, at least at Homeboy, I think predominates over margin always. And I think that's the right way. I think that's the Homeboy way." — Steve [10:06]Homeboy Industrieshttps://homeboyindustries.org/https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videosDonate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/Homeboy Media https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/Gayle Northrophttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylenorthrop/Steve Delgadohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-delgado-9222523/Thomas Vozzohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzoThe Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456XCredits:Hosted by: Tom VozzoProduced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media
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    45 mins
  • Radical Kinship and Transformation Explained by Hector Verdugo and Jose Arellano

    Radical Kinship and Transformation Explained by Hector Verdugo and Jose Arellano
    Dec 31 2025
    In this episode, Tom Vozzo sits down with Hector Verdugo and Jose Arellano to uncover what real transformation looks like when it rises out of pain, survival, and the quiet moments no one ever sees. Their journeys begin in places shaped by violence, incarceration, addiction, and childhood wounds carried for decades, but something unexpected happens the moment they walk through Homeboy’s doors: they encounter a kind of love they never knew existed.What starts as a search for a job becomes the beginning of a spiritual awakening, a creative writing assignment that cracks open long-buried memories, a simple handshake that softens lifelong defense mechanisms, a hug from Father Greg that feels more like home than anything they grew up with. Hector and Jose describe how healing does not arrive neatly or instantly, but through tears, reflection, and the slow realization that God was not punishing them; God was accompanying them.As they revisit these stories, they reveal what the Homeboy Way truly is: radical kinship, unconditional acceptance, and the kind of love that meets people exactly where they are. Their reflections remind us that transformation does not replace suffering; it grows through it, and every moment of honesty, every act of courage, and every small gesture of kindness becomes a step toward wholeness and a new way of being.Key TakeawaysLove Comes First, Transformation FollowsHector and Jose explain how Homeboy’s approach is not about fixing people but loving them. Transformation happens when someone finally feels safe enough to be vulnerable and seen.Healing Begins with Telling the TruthCreative writing classes and quiet moments of reflection cracked open long-buried childhood wounds, allowing emotions to surface for the first time in decades.Kinship Is a Radical, Daily PracticeAccepting, investing, showing up, and staying committed even when it’s messy is the heart of the Homeboy way.Reimagining Love After TraumaBoth men had to unlearn the violent, survival-based versions of love they grew up with and discover what real compassion, fatherhood, and belonging feel like.The Wilderness as a Healing ClassroomFrom snowboarding to sushi to snorkeling with sharks, new experiences help homies expand their sense of possibility and reclaim a life beyond survival.In This Episode:00:00 – Introduction00:42 – Hector’s arrival at Homeboy and his turning point08:10 – Jose’s near-life sentence, grief, and search for change12:27 – The mystical invitation that led Jose to Homeboy14:39 – Early resistance, fear, and learning to receive kindness17:55 – Childhood wounds resurfacing through creative writing23:11 – Falling in love with Homeboy’s culture of healing31:28 – Defining “the homeboy way”34:57 – Radical kinship and why transformation starts within35:48 – Snorkeling stories and facing a hammerhead shark43:56 – Why nature transforms the homies47:35 – Closing reflections on love, vulnerability, and kinshipNotable Quotes“God is too busy being in love with you to ever be disappointed in you.” — Hector [20:54]“My mother died as a gang member, and if I had never come to Homeboy, I would have died like that as well.” — Jose [12:54]“I think Homeboy fell in love with me first, to be honest.” — Jose [24:18]Resources and LinksHomeboy Industrieshttps://homeboyindustries.org/https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videosDonate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/Homeboy Media https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/Hector Verdugohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hector-verdugo-7297a684Jose Arellanohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-arellano-001966a0Thomas Vozzohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzoThe Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456XCredits:Hosted by: Tom VozzoProduced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media
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    49 mins
  • The Homeboy Stories that Touched Our Hearts with Shirley Torres and Hector Verdugo

    The Homeboy Stories that Touched Our Hearts with Shirley Torres and Hector Verdugo
    Dec 24 2025
    For decades, the team at Homeboy Industries has stood witness to a quiet revolution. Lives are rewritten not through force, judgment, or programs alone, but through the slow, steady practice of kinship.In this episode, Tom Vozzo is joined by Hector Verdugo and Shirley Torres to reflect on the stories that have shaped them as much as the people living them. Day after day, people walk into Homeboy carrying the invisible: trauma that shaped them, systems that failed them, and identities formed in survival mode. Over time, through consistency, humor, honesty, frustration, and grace, those same individuals discover the possibility of becoming someone they were never allowed to be.The three reflect on the privilege of walking alongside that transformation, not as saviors or fixers, but as fellow travelers who are changed in the process. At Homeboy, stories are not trophies or statistics. They are teachers. They stretch us, soften us, call us forward, and remind us that everyone is still becoming.Key Takeaways"Exquisite Mutuality" is the Secret SauceTransformation at Homeboy is never a one-way street. It is a reciprocal relationship.Kinship, Not Curriculum, Creates TransformationLove, not lectures, is what shifts shame, fear, or survival instincts into openness and trust.Judgment Doesn’t Grow People; Gentleness DoesA butchered tree still grows back; sometimes the most important thing is simply letting go.Love That Shows Up UnaskedWhen someone calls from federal prison to comfort you in grief, that’s God in work boots.Mutual Healing Is the Secret SauceNo one here is “saving” anyone; everyone is being changed, challenged, raised, and restored.In This Episode:00:00 – Introduction00:29 – The power of stories01:37 – Joanna: anger, armor, and the road to law school03:39 – Parole, board meetings, and unseen burdens05:14 – Humor, respect, and breaking the ice07:32 – Mutual raising in community09:20 – Shirley’s story coming to Homeboy as a kid10:52 – Loss, grief, and the surprise phone call that healed13:05 – Unconditional love within the Homeboy culture13:53 – Luis "Coloso," Butchered Trees, and Letting Go of Control16:38 – Addiction, mental health, and spiritual bypassing18:07 – Angelo: from hoodie to hope20:11 – How do you measure transformation without metrics?23:51 – Choosing compassion when someone is “difficult”24:57 – Times Square, armor, and becoming nine again25:48 – Closing reflections on patience and second chancesNotable Quotes“ I've had sort of my big life moments here and one of those moments was losing my dad and I think about how Homeboy showed up for me.” — Shirley [09:37]“ A place like Homeboy is all about the exquisite mutuality.” — Shirley [11:59]“It’s just love and seeing you, saying 'Hi, I see you,' and then eventually putting your arm around them." — Hector [19:44]Resources and LinksHomeboy Industrieshttps://homeboyindustries.org/https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videosDonate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/Homeboy Media https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/Hector Verdugohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hector-verdugo-7297a684Shirley Torreslinkedin.com/in/shirley-torres-1a9516a2Thomas Vozzohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzoThe Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456XCredits:Hosted by: Tom VozzoProduced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media
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    26 mins
  • God Shows Up: Spiritual Awakenings From the Homeboy Community with Fabian Debora, Sergio Basterrechea, and Jose Arellano

    God Shows Up: Spiritual Awakenings From the Homeboy Community with Fabian Debora, Sergio Basterrechea, and Jose Arellano
    Dec 17 2025
    In this episode, former Homeboy Industries CEO Tom Vozzo sits down with three powerful voices from the Homeboy community: Fabian, Sergio, and Jose. Together, they explore what it truly means to awaken spiritually, especially in the middle of suffering, trauma, addiction, incarceration, and generational pain.While Homeboy is often celebrated for its job programs and re-entry success, the real transformation happens in the unseen places: a prison cell, a childhood memory, a moment of collapse, or in the quiet stillness of a 4:00 a.m. prayer.Fabian, Sergio, and Jose each share how faith emerged not instead of suffering but through it in addiction, violence, poverty, regret, and loss, forming the bedrock of their healing. Their stories challenge the idea of a God who punishes, opening up a more spacious, merciful vision of a God who sustains, accompanies, and restores.They also discuss how spiritual grounding becomes a daily practice of surrender, gratitude, contemplation, and showing up for others, because as they remind us, every word, every step, and every action is a prayer.Key TakeawaysA God Who Sustains, Not PunishesRather than a God who protects us from pain, they speak of a God who walks with us through it, offering mercy, companionship, and unexpected grace.Spirituality Is a Daily PracticeStillness, early morning readings, gratitude lists, sweat lodge wisdom, and Homeboy’s contemplative culture shape their spiritual lives into something lived, not talked about.Community as Evidence of GodHomeboy itself becomes a sacred space: laughter in the hallways, a hug in the right moment, a homie getting his first apartment. Transformation happens together.Forgiveness Evolves Into Mercy and GraceRather than a transactional I forgive you, they learned to offer mercy: Welcome back. Come here. You are home. That same mercy becomes a template for how they see themselves.Joy Is the Fruit of a Healed LifeFrom seeing their children thrive to watching homies grow into their purpose, joy shows up as a quiet anchor, a reminder of how far they have come.In This Episode:00:00 – Introduction02:42 – Jose’s spiritual awakening in isolation09:14 – Fabian’s journey from childhood to awakening14:39 – Sergio’s early prayers and spiritual awakening18:18 – Reflections on suffering and God’s presence25:55 – Evolving faith and deepening spiritual insights27:02 – Daily practices for spiritual strength28:01 – Living prayerfully and mindfully29:16 – The power of gratitude32:19 – Faith in action through community and service33:34 – Forgiveness, mercy, and healing40:55 – Finding joy in life, family, and transformationNotable Quotes"If God saw me through that freeway incident, what can He not see me through now?" — Fabian [13:07]“Every step you take is a prayer. Every word you utter is a prayer. Every action is a prayer.” —Jose [28:25]“God protects us from nothing but sustains us in all things.” — Sergio [26:05]“ With Father Greg, he never said, I forgive you. He said, "Welcome back.” — Sergio [35:40]Resources and LinksHomeboy Industrieshttps://homeboyindustries.org/https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videosDonate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/Homeboy Media https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/Fabian Deborahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/fabian-debora-886279a/Sergio Basterrecheahttps://www.instagram.com/sergiobasterrechea/?hl=enhttps://www.godspantry.org/Jose Arellanolinkedin.com/in/jose-arellano-001966a0Thomas Vozzohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzoThe Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456XCredits:Hosted by: Tom VozzoProduced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media
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    46 mins
  • Why We're Wrong About "Good" and "Bad" with Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J.

    Why We're Wrong About "Good" and "Bad" with Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J.
    Dec 10 2025
    In today’s episode of The Homeboy Way, Tom Vozzo and Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. delve into the hidden weight of the labels society places on people. They revisit pivotal moments in Homeboy’s history, recalling times when homies were swiftly branded as “bad” or “evil,” and how those judgments shaped everything that came after. Through these reflections, Father Greg illustrates how behaviors rooted in trauma, addiction, or mental illness are often misread as fixed character traits, creating barriers that keep individuals shut out from opportunity, understanding, and compassion.Tom presses into these memories, asking why the world is so quick to judge and so slow to understand. Father Greg reflects on what decades at Homeboy have made unmistakably clear: people act from pain long before they act from choice, and when we reduce them to their worst moments, we lose sight of the human being still trying to surface beneath it all.Together, they explore how demonizing language stalls progress, why accountability needs compassion to truly work, and how healing begins when we stop treating people as categories and start meeting them as individuals.Key TakeawaysReal transformation begins with how we see people.Father Greg makes it clear that the moment we divide the world into good and bad, we lose the ability to create solutions. Healing only happens when we refuse to label and instead look underneath the behavior to the wounds, trauma, and mental health struggles that shaped it.Goodness is always present, even when it is buried. At Homeboy, people learn to reclaim their dignity because the community holds up a mirror that says you are noble, you are worthy, you belong. When people access that truth, violent behavior evaporates because they stop living from fear and start living from their inherent goodness.Health replaces judgment. Instead of asking who is bad or who is evil, the better question is who is hurting and how can we help them heal. Father Greg shows that demonizing language ends conversation, but curiosity opens a path toward understanding.In This Episode:00:00 – Introduction to The Homeboy Way00:44 – Why the "good vs. bad people" myth prevents progress02:16 – The L.A. County Jail as the world's largest mental institution03:00 – The difference between explaining behavior and excusing it04:10 – Moving from "good vs. bad cops" to "healthy vs. unhealthy cops"06:17 – Why Father Greg doesn't believe in "evil"08:18 – How the label "pure evil" almost cost a man his future09:37 – Re-interpreting biblical concepts of demons and evil through a modern lens12:30 – Generational and cultural differences in language (The Pope, the Devil, and Satan)15:27 – Finding heaven in the present moment through kinshipNotable Quotes"As long as you think that there are good people and bad people, then we're stuck in the mud. It's why we don't make progress." — Fr. Greg (00:51)"Everybody is unshakably good and that we belong to each other." —Fr. Greg (01:03)"The minute you call it evil, it ends all discussion.."— Fr. Greg (07:33)Resources and LinksHomeboy Industrieshttps://homeboyindustries.org/https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videosDonate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/Homeboy Media https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/Father Greg Boylehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-boyle-s-j-05458514Books: "Tattoos on the Heart," "Barking to the Choir," "The Whole Language"Thomas Vozzohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzoThe Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456XCredits:Hosted by: Tom VozzoProduced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media
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    16 mins
  • From Reviled to Revered: Homeboy's Unlikely Journey into the Heart of LA with Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J.

    From Reviled to Revered: Homeboy's Unlikely Journey into the Heart of LA with Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J.
    Dec 3 2025
    In this episode of The Homeboy Way, Tom Vozzo sits down with Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., the founder of Homeboy Industries, to unpack Homeboy Industries’ long and complicated relationship with government agencies. Fr. Greg reflects on how Homeboy went from reviled to revered, yet still receives little public funding, while Tom recalls early encounters with officials who believed they could do Homeboy’s work better inside the system, unaware of the heart and humanity that drive the mission.Together, they explore why bureaucracy often gets in its own way, shaped by outsider assumptions, political pressure, and a focus on legacy over real impact. They describe shifting relationships with law enforcement, moments of meaningful partnership, and the ongoing struggle to secure support without compromising mission or purity of purpose.This episode reminds us that hope, community wisdom, and authentic relationships, not top-down policies, are what truly transform lives.Key TakeawaysReal change begins with listening to the people on the ground.Policy fails when it’s shaped by outsiders who never ask communities what actually works. Real solutions come from those closest to the struggle.Hope moves people more than punishment ever will.Longer sentences and tougher policing do not stop violence. Homeboy shows that transformation starts when people believe they have a future.Staying true to the mission matters.Homeboy refused to reshape its identity to fit government requirements. Protecting the integrity of their work mattered more than chasing funding.Humility from leaders creates space for real progress.The most impactful officials were the ones willing to listen, ask questions, and admit they didn’t have all the answers.Community programs outperform forced systems.Government agencies often claim they can do the work better, especially in jails, but voluntary healing at Homeboy is far more effective than captive-audience programs.Mental health is the deeper crisis.Rising violence in detention centers points to untreated emotional wounds intensified by trauma, isolation, and the pandemic.In This Episode:00:00 – Introduction to The Homeboy Way00:41 – The government's role: good intentions, slow execution02:03 – Homeboy's journey from "reviled to revered"02:54 – The challenge of partnering with bureaucracy05:25 – Resisting funding to protect mission purity08:49 – The problem of the "outsider view" in policy design11:21 – Addressing the "lethal absence of hope"13:28 – Evolving relationships with police and sheriff departments17:40 – The surprising benefits of youth probation camps21:46 – Conclusion: belief in second chancesNotable Quotes"We won't become who you want us to become. We think we know what we're doing. Fund what we're doing, or don't." — Fr. Greg (08:20)"We went from reviled to revered. It really was quick." —Fr. Greg (01:49)"We're not that concerned about legacy. And every elected official is concerned about legacy."— Fr. Greg (04:06)"Rather than say, let's stop the violence, Homeboy says, wait, the violence is about a lethal absence of hope. Let's address the despair."— Fr. Greg (10:31)"Mental health is the defining health issue of our time." — Fr. Greg (20:13)Resources and LinksHomeboy Industrieshttps://homeboyindustries.org/https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videosDonate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/Homeboy Media https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/Father Greg Boylehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-boyle-s-j-05458514Books: "Tattoos on the Heart," "Barking to the Choir," "The Whole Language"Thomas Vozzohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzoThe Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456XCredits:Hosted by: Tom VozzoProduced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media
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    23 mins