In the second season of the “Once a Stranger” podcast, Alec’s first guest is gary broderick. The two discuss his mixed faith background being kept a secret from his mother’s orthodox Jewish family early in life and how he was affected by conditional love. They discuss him growing up in Highland Park, New Jersey, and being voted “most likely to succeed” by his peers after being kicked out of high school. gary unpacks his role as a lifelong organizer and what he’s come to learn about the value in organizing as opposed to mobilizing or advocacy. He shares some of his proudest moments organizing fellow hotel workers at the Hyatt in Philly, co-founding Richmond For All in the aftermath of a failed school board campaign, standing off - and WINNING - against Dominion Energy, Virginia’s oligarchal behemoth. gary shares how professional wrestling offered him his first emotional experience of solidarity. If you stick around long enough, you’ll also hear his analysis of the 2024 presidential election. The “Once a Stranger” podcast does not condone his highly questionable top 5 list, but suffering through it is brief.