The Homeboy Way – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Homeboy Way

Business

Frequency: 1 episode/7d. Total Eps: 50

The Homeboy Way Podcast invites listeners into stories of healing, kinship, and transformation. Hosted by Tom Vozzo, former longtime CEO of Homeboy Industries, alongside Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., and illuminating guests, the show explores what happens when people are seen, cherished, and given space to heal. The Homeboy team will talk about trauma, redemption, social justice, faith, and business efforts that foster healing, but more than anything, we talk about belonging and what happens when you meet people where they're at. The Homeboy Way, a movement of radical kinship.

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇨🇦 Canada - nonProfit
20/08/2026
#71
🇬🇧 Great Britain - nonProfit
20/08/2026
#94
🇺🇸 USA - nonProfit
20/08/2026
#18
🇨🇦 Canada - nonProfit
19/08/2026
#91
🇺🇸 USA - nonProfit
19/08/2026
#26
🇩🇪 Germany - nonProfit
18/08/2026
#69
🇺🇸 USA - nonProfit
18/08/2026
#19
🇬🇧 Great Britain - nonProfit
17/08/2026
#56
🇩🇪 Germany - nonProfit
17/08/2026
#61
🇺🇸 USA - nonProfit
17/08/2026
#22

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

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https://homeboyindustries.org/
96 shares
https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/
96 shares
https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/
94 shares

RSS feed quality and score

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RSS feed quality

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Score global : 68%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

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Latest published episodes

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Preview Episode of The Homeboy Way

Season 1

Friday, September 19, 2025 • Duration 11:20

Welcome to a special sneak peek into, "The Homeboy Way", hosted by former, longtime CEO of Homeboy Industries, Tom Vozzo, with Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J , founder of Homeboy Industries, and voices from inside and outside of Bruno Street. Here, we offer Insights from 4 episodes, as we discuss the myth of second chances, why people join gangs, and how the grace of giving without expectations and not giving up leads to a community of kinship and thriving. Homegrown from Homeboy Media, this podcasts invites you to join us, listen in to conversations and wisdom from the world's largest gang and re-entry program, and take action to implement "the Homeboy Way” - a radical approach business and life.

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The Price of Poverty: Homeboy Leaders Reflect on Generational Struggles and Second Chances with Hector Verdugo, Dre Comers, and Jose Arellano

Season 1 · Episode 2

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 • Duration 48:46

Welcome to The Homeboy Way, where we share the voices and stories that reveal how belonging, kinship, and courage change lives. In this episode, I sit down with Jose, Dre, and Hector — three men whose childhoods were marked by poverty, instability, and addiction. From selling drugs at 15 to keeping his family housed, to missing holidays because survival came first, to realizing that poverty was invisible until they stepped outside their neighborhood — their stories show us how economics drive choices, how shame takes root, and how the power of community creates another way forward.

Key Takeaway:

This episode of The Homeboy Way goes deep into how poverty and addiction shape lives — and how Jose, Dre, and Hector transformed their stories into hope.

In This Episode:

[00:00] Introduction
[02:07] Growing up in poverty and the challenges it presented.
[04:56] Hector shares his journey of hustling at a young age to survive, leading him to the streets and eventually to Homeboy Industries.
[08:23] Dre discusses the emotional challenges of growing up without basic necessities, such as a Christmas tree or regular meals.
[14:13] Jose shares how he navigated poverty and took on responsibilities at a young age to care for his family amidst drug addiction and violence.
[17:43] Jose explains how he turned to gang life due to a sense of abandonment and the lack of financial stability.
[21:20] Dre reflects on the material allure of gang life, especially when compared to the poverty-stricken lifestyle he experienced growing up.
[33:21] The group reflects on Father Greg’s approach to giving and how Homeboy Industries provides support for those in need.
[49:14] The importance of second chances, generosity, and kinship within the Homeboy community.

Notable Quotes:

[17:23] "I was just trying to survive, trying to feed my family. I didn’t care about the rest of the world." – Jose
[08:48] "You don’t realize the importance of a Christmas tree until you don’t have one." – Dre
[33:21] "Money solves problems for poor people. It makes a difference in their survival." – Tom Vozzo

The Secret Sauce of Homeboy: The Power of Being Seen and Cherished with Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J.

Season 1 · Episode 1

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 • Duration 41:11

In this episode, Tom Vozzo sits down with Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., to unpack one of the most frequently asked questions about Homeboy Industries: What’s the secret sauce?

Together, they reflect on how Homeboy creates a community where people feel safe, seen, and cherished. Father Greg shares stories from the early days of ministry, remembering names, meeting homies where they’re at, and learning that transformation often starts with the smallest gestures of attention.

The conversation explores why real change depends on relational wholeness, how leadership is rooted in listening and humility, and why giving second (or eighth) chances isn’t just compassion, it’s the heart of Homeboy. During their conversation, they revisit formative memories of leaders like Hector Verdugo and Jose, discuss how to balance the presence of rival gangs under one roof, and consider what it really means to trust, forgive, and find sustenance in God.

This episode is an honest, moving look at how kinship, not programs or policies, is what heals.

Key Takeaways

Faith reframed: God’s role is not to remove challenges but to provide sustenance within them.
Outcome vs. presence: True spiritual confidence comes from knowing you are sustained regardless of outcomes.
Resilience through faith: Belief in divine sustenance makes it possible to face anything without fear of being abandoned.

Shift in orientation: Move from “God has me on this one” to “God is with me in everything.”

In This Episode

[00:44] What is the “secret sauce” of Homeboy?
[02:06] Seen vs. watched: the power of being noticed
[05:19] “The priest knows my name”: why attention transforms

Leadership, Poverty, and Government Impact with Michael Tubbs

Season 1 · Episode 3

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 • Duration 39:28

When End Poverty in California (EPIC) founder, leader of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, and Homeboy Industries Board Member Michael Tubbs sits down with Tom Vozzo, former CEO of Homeboy Industries, who helmed a $1.6 billion for-profit corporation previously, the conversation turns from policy to practice.

Tubbs made headlines as the youngest U.S. mayor (Stockton, California), cutting gun violence by 40 percent and launching a universal basic income pilot that reframed poverty current policy nationwide.

Yet as he and Tom discuss, Homeboy Industries has been living those principles for decades, offering belonging as basic income and kinship as public safety.

This episode is not about what the government could do better; it’s about what already works. Through Homeboy’s model of employment, healing, and radical inclusion, Tom and Michael show that lasting change starts with relationship, not policy.

This episode bridges two worlds: policy and practice. Listeners will see how Homeboy’s reentry model functions as a living economy of care, and why Tubbs calls it “the moral north star for every city that wants to work.

Key Takeaways

Policy Is a Blueprint, Homeboy Is the Building - Tubbs designed programs to lift people out of poverty; Homeboy creates pathways that make poverty obsolete. Jobs, training, therapy, and community operate as one system of care.
Kinship Outperforms Bureaucracy - Where city systems stagnate under red tape, Homeboy moves at the speed of trust, responding to trauma, grief, and talent in real time.
Economic Justice Is Personal - Homeboy’s “second chance economy” proves that healing is an economic strategy. Every paycheck funds recovery, family stability, and neighborhood peace.

Leadership Starts at the Margins - As Tubbs admits, political systems often exclude the very people closest to the problem. Homeboy reverses that hierarchy; its executives are its graduates.

Concrete Love, Unshakable Hope, and the Spirituality of Kinship with Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J.

Season 1 · Episode 5

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 • Duration 44:15

Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., founder of Homeboy Industries, and Tom Vozzo, former CEO of the organization, discuss leadership as mercy rather than management, drawing from Fr. Greg’s four decades of walking with those on the margins. What began as a small bakery in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, to provide jobs for rival gang members, grew into the world’s largest reentry program, measuring success by restored relationships rather than metrics. Fr. Greg emphasizes that unconditional love, trust, and kinship, not fear or performance, are the foundations of effective leadership, where compassion becomes a system that replaces shame with dignity. Despite the grief and exhaustion in such work, humor, hope, and a sense of community sustain it. Homeboy’s success is a spiritual one, a living theology of tenderness, where every act of mercy builds belonging. Their conversation invites listeners to lead with empathy, serve with joy, and embrace love as a transformative strategy.

Key Takeaways

Love has to be real and practical - Fr. Greg says it’s not enough to affirm people or hold them in high regard if they’re hungry or can’t pay rent. Love has to show up in concrete ways. Sometimes that means handing someone forty bucks so they can eat today. Small things, done with great love.
No strings attached means exactly that - When he helps someone, there’s never a condition tied to it. It’s not “I’ll help you if…” It’s simply help, period. Even if the person uses the money in ways others wouldn’t approve of, it’s still an act of trust. That trust often circles back years later, when someone returns to say thank you.
It’s about walking with, not fixing - Fr. Greg doesn’t see his work as saving or solving. It’s an accompaniment. Just being with people as they struggle, cry, laugh, and rebuild. That presence says, “You matter,” louder than any sermon ever could.
Stand in the lowly place - The invitation of Jesus, he says, isn’t to rescue anyone but to stand where he stands, among the poor, the forgotten, the demonized. That’s where the joy is, where love always wins.

Healing, Belonging, and the Power of Unconditional Love with The Homeboy Team: Hector, Shirley, Stephanie, and Steve

Season 1 · Episode 4

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 • Duration 44:44

In this episode, hear directly from the leaders and lifers of Homeboy Industries: Co-CEO Shirley Torres, Associate Director Hector Verdugo, VP of Operations Steve Avalos, and Case Manager Stephanie Lane, all with decades of combined experience, as they pull back the curtain on the organization's soul.

They reveal the core practices that make Homeboy a global model of radical healing: how to cherish the "un-cherishable," why telling someone "come back when you're ready" is an act of love, and how to build a community where everyone is both medicine and patient. This is a raw look at the joy, pain, and transformative power of walking with people without judgment.

Key Takeaways

How the simple act of feeling "seen" can be a profound intervention.
Why "come back when you're ready" is an act of love, not punishment.
How every staff member, from the front door to the C-suite, acts as a "therapist" and container for healing.
The redefinition of success from metrics to individual healing and wholeness.
The tangible joy found in daily community, morning meetings, and hugs.

In This Episode:

00:53 – Introduction
05:02 – The essence of Homeboy Industries
11:43 – Cherishing and healing at Homeboy
13:47 – Redefining success and healing
16:09 – Challenges and second chances
20:22 – Stories of letting go and coming back
21:23 – A tense confrontation
22:22 – A heartfelt apology
23:07 – The power of mercy and grace
24:12 – Building trust and accountability
29:20 – Dealing with anger
33:25 – The importance of mental health

Start Your Day The Homeboy Way: Grounded, Joyful, and Vulnerable

Season 1 · Episode 6

Wednesday, October 29, 2025 • Duration 34:14

In this episode, Tom Vozzo sits down with Dre Comers and Hector Verdugo to talk about one of the most meaningful parts of life at Homeboy Industries: the morning meeting. Held every weekday, it’s a space where the entire community comes together to connect, reflect, and support each other.

Dre shares what it was like joining Homeboy with a background in nonprofit work, and how the culture of presence and honesty made him stay. Hector offers insight into why celebrating small wins, like birthdays or a year of sobriety, matters more than people realize.

The episode also features two moving “Thoughts of the Day” from community members. Ricky talks about returning after setbacks and learning to take the program seriously. Debrah, released after 36 years in prison, reflects on what freedom means beyond physical release.

This conversation offers a closer look at how daily rituals, real connection, and radical acceptance shape transformation at Homeboy Industries.

Key Takeaways

Morning meetings create a space for grounding, joy, and vulnerability
Authentic leadership at Homeboy begins with humility and compassion
Real change often starts after failure or hesitation
Walking away from gang life is emotionally complex and spiritual
Homeboy always welcomes people back, no matter how many times they’ve left
Freedom includes emotional and spiritual release, not just physical liberty

Spirituality is part of the culture, not imposed through religion

Transformation happens when people feel loved, safe, and seen

In This Episode

[00:00] Introduction
[00:27] What is morning meeting and why it matters
[00:59] Celebrating sobriety, birthdays, and small wins

Why Love, Not Judgment, is the First Step to Recovery with Fabian Debora, Jose Arellano, and Inez Salcido

Season 1 · Episode 7

Wednesday, November 5, 2025 • Duration 49:13

In this episode of The Homeboy Way, Tom Vozzo sits down with Fabian Debora, Inez Salcido, and Jose Arellano to explore what recovery truly means at Homeboy Industries. Fabian reflects on his personal journey with addiction, while Inez shares how her team prioritizes stabilizing housing and relationships before addressing substance use. Jose discusses how Homeboy’s strength lies in trust, which guides individuals toward help they may not yet believe they deserve.

At Homeboy, recovery is about more than just overcoming addiction; it's about seeing the person behind the pain and offering hope. This episode reminds us that transformation is possible when we walk together, believing in each other’s potential.

Key Takeaways

Recovery starts with compassion, not control.
Healing begins by meeting people where they are, focusing on stability, safety, and community before anything else. Compassion creates trust, which is the foundation for healing.

Addiction is a disease, not a defect.
Substance abuse often stems from deep trauma, and recognizing it as a disease helps foster empathy rather than shame, allowing for a more holistic view of the person.

Suffering leads to surrender.
Real recovery often begins when control is lost, and surrender happens in the midst of pain and rock-bottom moments. Faith and healing are born from this surrender.

Recovery is a way of life.
Recovery is an ongoing choice to live with honesty and purpose, using tools like the 12 Steps to rebuild life, not just abstaining from substances.

"Spoonfeed" recovery; don't force it.
Recovery should be presented as an inviting choice, empowering individuals to take ownership of their journey, rather than feeling punished or coerced.

The Homeboy Model of Whole-Person Healing with Fajima Bedran and Shirley Torres

Season 1 · Episode 9

Wednesday, November 19, 2025 • Duration 34:19

In this episode, Homeboy Industries Co-CEO Shirley Torres and longtime Clinical Director Fajima Bedran join Tom Vozzo, former CEO of Homeboy Industries, to discuss what truly transforms lives: healing. While Homeboy is widely known for its job programs and re-entry success stories, Father Greg Boyle recognized years ago that the real work lies in healing trauma. Each trainee has endured layers of pain, childhood abuse, foster care, incarceration, addiction, and the mission is not just to ease their misery but to help them become whole.

Shirley, Fajima, and Tom explain that healing at Homeboy extends beyond therapy rooms and happens in hallways, morning meetings, and even on the dance floor. Therapy is integrated into everyday life, with community-based counseling and cutting-edge modalities like EMDR and neurofeedback. Through stories of transformation, Shirley and Fajima illustrate how Homeboy’s therapeutic community fosters joy, suffering, and, most importantly, belonging, which they believe is the first and most essential form of medicine.

Key Takeaways

The Community is the Clinic
Where traditional therapy can be sterile, Homeboy’s healing is woven into its fabric through a tap on the shoulder, a shared dance, or a repaired relationship. This community builds the trust necessary for deep clinical work.

Healing the Wound, Not Just the Behavior
Systems often focus on changing behavior. Homeboy’s model digs deeper to address the underlying complex trauma and pain, the why behind the behavior, so people can stop transmitting their pain.

From "Fixing" to "Accompanying"
The goal is not to "save" people, but to walk with them, repair ruptures, and hold the door open. As Shirley says, the staff are "hope in the flesh," living testaments that transformation is possible.

The Homeboy Way – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

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The Homeboy Way – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

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Latest published episodes

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