The Homeboy Way

Dr. Bill Resnick first heard about Homeboy through a friend before Homeboy even existed. Years later, after a site visit, reading Tattoos on the Heart, and witnessing Homeboy’s financial crisis, he found his way into the community.In this episode, former CEO Tom Vozzo talks with Bill about moving from donor to volunteer. A psychiatrist in long-term recovery, Bill now leads mindfulness classes at Homeboy. He shares what mindfulness really is, how to teach it in unpredictable classrooms, and why healing happens best in community, not just in a therapist’s office.Bill also opens up about his own mental health struggles and the multiple second chances he has received. His story reveals what it truly means to be part of Homeboy, not as an expert, but as someone willing to show up, get proximate, and simply be in a relationship.Key TakeawaysYou don’t need a quiet mind to practice mindfulnessMindfulness isn’t about stopping your thoughts. It’s about noticing them, “busy mind,” “planning mind,” and gently returning to the present. The shift isn’t control, it’s awareness.People are carrying more than you can seeAt Homeboy, trainees walk in with real-life pressures, court dates, family stress, trauma. That reality shows up in the classroom, and it shapes how healing has to happen.Mindfulness can be a shared experienceEven in silence, practicing alongside others creates connection. There’s something powerful about knowing you’re not alone in the work of being present.Belonging is part of the healingVolunteering becomes meaningful not because of what you give, but because you become part of something. Being recognized, welcomed, and connected matters.It’s not about fixing, it’s about relationshipHomeboy doesn’t need experts coming in to teach. It needs people willing to listen, to show up, and to be in genuine relationship with others.Healing isn’t one chance, it’s manyThe people at Homeboy often come from deep, generational trauma. Change doesn’t happen once. It happens over time, through multiple chances, and sometimes for the first time ever.In This Episode:00:00 – Introduction01:08 – How Bill first learned about Homeboy04:29 – The Miracle of Mindfulness class07:00 – Why mindfulness matters in daily life10:02 – Personal mindfulness practice13:14 – Teaching mindfulness at Homeboy16:51 – Tools for managing stress and anxiety19:23 – Why mindfulness works23:05 – What it means to be a volunteer28:53 – Philosophy of giving and philanthropy34:07 – Being part of the Homeboy community36:39 – Bill’s personal journey and second chances40:22 – Closing reflectionsNotable Quotes“Healing happens best in community, not just individually.” — Dr. Bill [02:32]“I can't meditate because my mind's too busy. I can't shut off my thoughts. If that were the requirement, nobody would be able to meditate.” — Dr. Bill [11:11]“ We give multiple chances to people” — Tom [36:29]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/Dr. Bill Resnickhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-resnick-03a5135/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

In this episode, Tom Vozzo sits down with three remarkable women who have each walked through Homeboy's doors broken and walked out as leaders. Dyamond is now a brand strategist for the Homeboy Way podcast. Angel is a navigator helping new trainees find their footing. Vianka is an academic program coordinator at Homeboy's adult high school. Together, their stories paint a vivid portrait of what healing looks like when it is real, when it is slow, and when it never really ends.Dyamond came in after escaping an abusive relationship, drawn in by nothing more than the color of her cousin's purple shirt. She did not believe you could be paid to heal. Angel stood in the rain, literally torn between the familiar pain of her past and the unknown promise of Homeboy's open door. She chose the right path. Vianka arrived through Homeboy's anger management program, sent by a case manager she met while incarcerated, stepping through the doors during COVID when the building was nearly empty but the welcome was full.All three carry tattoos and scars and imposter syndrome. All three have sat in the same classes they now help facilitate. All three are raising children who see them showing up every day. And all three have one message for anyone still standing in the rain deciding which way to walk: you are not forever broken.Key TakeawaysHealing can be a job.Dyamond couldn't believe it when her cousin said all you have to do is go to classes and they pay you for it. She had to see it to believe it.We don't only hurt ourselves, we hurt the people who love us.Angel learned in incarceration classes that every relapse, every arrest cuts deep into the people who love you, and her son crying for her at night was her turning point. At Homeboy, the color lines disappear.Coming from the hood where Blacks and Hispanics don't always get along, Dyamond found something different at Homeboy: protection, support, and being seen as a boss.Motherly instinct is a superpower.Vianka feeds off the men's strength, but what connects the women is holding each other through difficult situations because they know what it means to bear kids and show up anyway. A business card can feel like an Oscar. Angel handed her mom a card with her name on it, and her mom made the biggest deal out of it. Because seeing your child finally change, that is everything.In This Episode:00:00 – Introduction01:20 – Dyamond’s journey to Homeboy02:45 – Choosing healing over familiar pain04:20 – Angel’s role as a navigator06:45 – Angel’s turning point after incarceration08:49 – Vianka’s path through trauma and healing15:06 – Lessons for their younger selves23:09 – Homeboy as a place of sanctuary24:55 – Being a woman at Homeboy29:21 – Women who inspire them40:42 – What gives them hope today44:14 – The meaning behind the gala momentNotable Quotes" I just couldn't believe that you're paying me to do something that I need to do. It was a win-win." – Dyamond [02:33]"I stood there and it was raining and I was torn because I wanted to go with the comfortable pain that I was used to." – Dyamond [03:32]"Hope has an address. It's 130 West Bruno Street." – Angel [41:30]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/Vianka Villagomezhttps://www.facebook.com/vianka827/Dyamond Wattshttps://www.instagram.com/therealqueenofcompton/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

What does it take to reach a kid who’s already been given up on by every system around them? Maria Flores and Gabriel Lopez of Homeboy’s Youth Reentry Center answer simply: show up, stay, and never close the door.In this episode, Tom Vozzo sits down with Maria and Gabriel to explore the reality of working with youth coming out of incarceration and still living in gang violence, generational trauma, and instability. Unlike adults, these young people return to the same environments they came from. Their trauma isn’t something they leave behind, it’s where they live.Gabriel brings lived experience as a former generational gang member who spent years in prison before choosing a different path after his son was born. Maria, with 18 years at Homeboy, has seen entire cycles repeat, including parents she once supported now sending their own children through the program. Together, they describe a model rooted in radical consistency: no youth is ever expelled, no family is abandoned, and no one faces the system alone.From moments of joy like white water rafting trips where a hardened teen smiles for the first time, to a young man who kept returning simply because someone noticed him, this episode shows what happens when kids are treated not as problems to fix, but as people who want to be seen and loved.Key TakeawaysSociety failed her,  Homeboy showed upA girl out of school for three years wasn’t blamed. Instead, Maria asked how the system failed her. With support, she graduated two years later. No one gets pushed out hereThe Youth Reentry Center never expels kids. Instead of punishment, they use reflection and healing circles, offering stability to youth used to rejection. Education is the turning pointThough legally allowed back in school, many youth are pushed out. Homeboy created its own school to ensure they don’t fall through the cracks. Kids are pushed out not failing aloneBehaviors that lead to expulsion in underserved communities are often handled differently elsewhere. The homeboy chooses to open the door instead. Gang identity is about survival What looks like defiance is often protection. As Gabriel puts it, beneath it all is a kid who wants to be loved. Healing the healer matters Maria calls Homeboy "my medicine." Staying present requires daily practices. Staff wellbeing is essential to sustaining this work. In This Episode:00:00 – Introduction00:30 – Why Homeboy focuses on youth02:49 – Living in trauma, not beyond it06:47 – Girls, foster care, and hidden struggles08:44 – Why no one is ever kicked out09:30 – The reason Homeboy built a school10:40 – The “chaser” model and wraparound support15:27 – Understanding a young man’s mindset16:30 – Gabriel’s story: joining a gang early19:02 – What changed the direction of his life21:12 – Fatherhood and a new sense of purpose23:26 – Building trust and creating safe spaces26:42 – Summer programs and moments of joy28:48 – Lessons in trust and letting go33:50 – Working with parents and reunification36:02 – Breaking cycles of conflict and violence41:26 – Gabriel’s journey as a fatherNotable Quotes“No one stops to look at what our kids are holding in their heart.” – Gabriel [03:58]“There is no such thing as ‘that’s it, you’re done.” – Maria [09:01]“They’re just little boys that want to be loved, bro.” – Gabriel [16:16]“ There's never a hopeful kid that joins a gang.” – Maria [17:25]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/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