She Had "Forever Broken" Tattooed on Her Chest. Homeboy Changed That with Angel Rodriguez, Dyamond Watts, and Vianka Villagomez

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/th