Episode Description
In this episode, Tom Vozzo sits down with Jose Leon, head barista at Homegirl Cafe. But Jose almost didn’t stay long enough to make a single cup.
The first time Jose walked through the doors of Homeboy Industries, he was already planning his exit. Fresh out of rehab and carrying a charge for “fire,” considered worse than murder on the streets, he assumed a place full of gang members could never be positive. But his roommate, T, had a persistent, vibrant energy that Jose wanted for himself. More than that, he had four daughters. He needed to become someone they could count on.
So he stayed. He washed dishes. He unlearned nearly everything. And then he got tricked into becoming a barista. Behind the counter at Homegirl Cafe, Jose discovered that coffee dissolves the barriers between strangers. People walk in with heavy stories, a mother grieving a son, and hand them over with their order. He listens, he serves, and he makes the best latte in Los Angeles.
Now the head barista and a quiet leader, Jose still wakes at 3:30 a.m. He still focuses on the next generation, knowing he may never fully heal the wounds of his past. But he shows up differently. And that, he says, changes everything.
Key Takeaways
If you want something different, you have to do something different.
Jose did not suddenly feel ready. He chose differently. He realized that everything he had done before led him to where he was, and if he wanted a different life, he had to take a completely different path.
Transformation does not instantly fix relationships
Even when someone does the work to heal, grow, and change, family members may still see the old version of them. Rebuilding trust takes time, patience, and consistency.
Small, consistent actions can create a sense of purpose.
When Jose started in the back of the cafe washing dishes, it wasn't a dead-end job. It was the first time he knew he could do something, finish it, and do it correctly again the next day.
Support can break deeply rooted beliefs
Many who come from incarceration or hardship feel like they do not deserve help. Experiencing genuine care through meals, kindness, and community begins to shift that mindset and opens the door to change
In This Episode:
00:55 – Jose’s first time at Homeboy
01:28 – The arson charge and coming out of rehab
02:04 – Why Jose was against Homeboy at first
02:45 – What kept him coming back
03:33 – The turning point: “I had to do something different”
05:44 – What Father Greg means to Jose
07:22 – Traveling to Fairbanks, Alaska to speak
08:46 – Unlearning everything
09:20 – Daily practices: waking up at 3:30 a.m.
11:06 – Healing family relationships without expectations
13:33 – Talking to his daughters and focusing on the next generation
14:17 – What Jose tells customers at the coffee counter
15:17 – Daily mindset reminders
17:10 – Part 2: Inside the Homegirl Cafe
17:28 – Starting as a dishwasher in the back
18:35 – Becoming a barista by accident
19:21 – Overcoming insecurity about facial scars
20:38 – Why the coffee counter removes barriers
22:20 – When a mother shared her son’s death
24:06 – Helping people straight out of jail with a free meal
Notable Quotes
“ If I wanted something different in life, I had to do something different.” — Jose [03:35]
“I wanted to be the person my daughters needed me to be” — Jose [02:47]
“I had to unlearn everything.” — Jose [09:07]
Resources and Links
Homeboy Industries
Homeboy Media
Jose Leon
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