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 Takeaways
Love Comes First, Transformation Follows
Hector 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 Truth
Creative 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 Practice
Accepting, investing, showing up, and staying committed even when it’s messy is the heart of the Homeboy way.
Reimagining Love After Trauma
Both 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 Classroom
From 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 – Introduction
00:42 – Hector’s arrival at Homeboy and his turning point
08:10 – Jose’s near-life sentence, grief, and search for change
12:27 – The mystical invitation that led Jose to Homeboy
14:39 – Early resistance, fear, and learning to receive kindness
17:55 – Childhood wounds resurfacing through creative writing
23:11 – Falling in love with Homeboy’s culture of healing
31:28 – Defining “the homeboy way”
34:57 – Radical kinship and why transformation starts within
35:48 – Snorkeling stories and facing a hammerhead shark
43:56 – Why nature transforms the homies
47:35 – Closing reflections on love, vulnerability, and kinship
Notable 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 Links
Homeboy Industries
Homeboy Media
Hector Verdugo
Jose Arellano
Thomas Vozzo
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