Learning to Listen: Tom Vozzo on Trading Corporate Rules for Homeboy's Way

<p>Tom Vozzo arrived at Homeboy Industries from the corporate world expecting to bring his experience, solve problems, and help stabilize an organization facing a financial crisis. What he didn&#39;t expect was how much Homeboy would change the way he understood leadership.</p><p>In this episode of <em>The Homeboy Way</em>, Daniel Martinez and George Nunez turn the tables on Tom, asking about the transition that forced him to slow down, listen, and learn from the people around him. Tom reflects on sitting in Homeboy&#39;s daily council meetings and realizing that the answers he would have given in the corporate world often looked completely different from the solutions rooted in kinship, grace, and care.</p><p>George opens up about initially judging Tom when he returned to Homeboy after 11 years in prison, only to change his mind after watching Tom&#39;s actions and seeing how deeply he cared about the people at Homeboy. Daniel recalls the quieter ways Tom showed up, including helping Father Greg Boyle during the pandemic.</p><p>The conversation also explores faith, burnout, family, taking time away from work, and Tom&#39;s vision for Homeboy Media. At its heart, this is a story about showing up without needing the spotlight and letting your actions prove why you&#39;re there.</p><p><strong>Key Takeaways</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Coming to Homeboy to help.</strong></p><p>Tom left the corporate world and came to Homeboy during a financial crisis, knowing decisions had to be made before he fully understood what made the organization successful.</p></li></ul><ul><li><p><strong>Leadership without ego.</strong></p><p>Tom saw the timing of his arrival as an advantage. He wasn&#39;t there to make a name for himself. He was there to help.</p></li></ul><ul><li><p><strong>Learning from your mistakes.</strong></p><p>After returning from 11 years in prison, George reflects on judging Tom and the importance of holding himself accountable for his thought process.</p></li></ul><ul><li><p><strong>Finding faith at Homeboy.</strong></p><p>Tom says his spirituality deepened at Homeboy through listening, asking questions, and learning from Father Greg.</p></li></ul><ul><li><p><strong>Carrying the work home.</strong></p><p>The care, stress, and trauma involved in helping people at Homeboy can make it difficult to leave work behind at the end of the day.</p></li></ul><p><strong>In This Episode:</strong></p><ul><li><p>[00:00] Introduction and role reversal</p></li><li><p>[00:39] Transitioning from corporate to Homeboy</p></li><li><p>[01:54] Learning the Homeboy way</p></li><li><p>[04:25] Accepting a new leader</p></li><li><p>[05:34] Overcoming initial judgment</p></li><li><p>[07:05] Tom&#39;s motivation and perspective</p></li><li><p>[09:26] Navigating the pandemic</p></li><li><p>[11:42] Tom&#39;s upbringing and values</p></li><li><p>[12:32] Finding spirituality at Homeboy</p></li><li><p>[13:17] Work-life balance challenges</p></li><li><p>[16:00] The importance of taking breaks</p></li><li><p>[17:03] Health and favorite foods</p></li><li><p>[17:43] The future of Homeboy Media</p></li><li><p>[19:12] Closing gratitude</p></li></ul><p><strong>Notable Quotes</strong></p><ul><li><p>“The transition was hard. I didn&#39;t know what I was getting myself into.” — Tom Vozzo [00:57]</p></li><li><p>“I came to Homeboy to help.” — Tom Vozzo [05:23]</p></li></ul><p><strong>Resources and Links</strong></p><p><strong>Homeboy Industries</strong></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://homeboyindustries.org/"><u>https://homeboyindustries.org/</u></a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videos"><u>https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videos</u></a></p></li><li><p>Donate: <a href="https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/"><u>https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/</u></a></p></li></ul><p><strong>Homeboy Media </strong></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/"><u>