For a year now, Houstonians have been tuning in to "Let's Talk" on Saturday mornings from nine-thirty to eleven on KCOH 1430 AM to hear and take part in lively discussions. Topics may range from the Harry Potter books to the government's war on drugs, but always have at their heart issues of family and education. Gail draws on her background in psychology and teaching for her show, but she also mines the expertise of her guests, among them political commentator Arianna Huffington, educator and author Jonathan Kozol and Houston's mayor, Lee Brown (you can hear these shows and others at www.drgailgross.com). "My callers can talk directly to my guests," she says. "They get to bring their questions to someone with authority, and that's a very empowering thing. All kinds of people call in, even kindergarten children."
A radio talk show allows everyone to feel comfortable joining in the discussion, she explains. "You aren't intimidated by appearances, because it's just a voice you're responding to. It's very intimate, as if you were just chatting over a cup of coffee," she adds, with the throaty laugh familiar to her listeners.
"The show is called 'Let's Talk' to encourage people to do just that - communicate."
Intimate as it may seem, the radio broadcast reaches a large audience, which has doubled since its debut. "The program is really about service," Gail says. "I hope to show people ways they can change their lives and improve communication, especially between parents and children. Our children learn everything from us. We can't tell them to act one way when we ourselves are doing the opposite. It's important to be completely authentic |
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Gail's double life: She's also vice president at Gross Investments, her husbands firm, which builds apartment houses around the country. "I oversee our buildings, visual design," she says.
with them."
"Let's Talk" is not the only service Gail has provided: She and her husband, real estate developer Jenard Gross ("my best teacher"), collaborated with Texas Southern University and state and city agencies to create a lab school, the Cuney Home School, for underprivileged children. "Mrs. Gore came to see it several months ago," she says. "It's become a national model."
With these many projects, Gail finds it vitally important to keep balance in her life. " I set aside time to do what relaxes me - painting, writing, mediating." Reading Victoria also helps her stay grounded. "I'm a homemaker," says Gail. "I bake my own bread. I love the things that make a house feel like home, the smell of spices from the kitchen. I appreciate how Victoria brings those joys to the for, because that's very much a part of who I am, too."
TEXT BY LAURA HANNETT
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