Attorney Michael Collins and Dr. Joseph Novello Our Town

Published: Dec. 1, 2016, 7:37 p.m.

b"Our Town host Andy Ockershausen interviews two outstanding professionals, Attorney Mike Collins and Dr. Joe Novello, in this all new Our Town podcast episode. Andy introduces both men to us by telling us about their very different career paths, then segues into a long laundry list of what they have in common. \\n\\n\\n\\nUp first is Attorney Mike Collins. He is managing partner of The Collins Firm and host of Legally Speaking radio show on WMAL. Andy prompts Mike to talk about his alma mater Notre Dame. Mike provides insight into his early years growing up in Chicago\\u2019s school system, and how he started Notre Dame at 16. They go on to talk about Mike\\u2019s Dad, the first Notre Dame fan Mike ever met. Although never having attended Notre Dame, his Dad had season tickets with 9 friends and he attended every home game for 49 years. The group was cut off from the tickets when the person whose name the tickets were in passed away. Mike went through a letter writing campaign to get his Dad reinstated and was successful. His Dad ended up with four season tickets for his lifetime, which Mike had to acknowledge and promise not to contest down the road.\\n\\nAs founder of The Collins Firm, Mike has been conducting estate planning seminars throughout the DC Metro for years. He used to charge for them, but not any more. Mike has made it his mission to educate people 50+ about estate planning. Mike realizes that most folks don\\u2019t want to think about planning their estate although they know it should be done. His free seminars are the perfect way to get people motivated to get their affairs in order starting now. \\n\\nYou\\u2019ll be entertained as you listen in to Mike describe his entrepreneurial experiences in Southern California. He and a partner started the first skate park and waterslide park there. Toward the end of his interview, you\\u2019ll laugh as you listen to Mike recall stories about his waterslide investment. These successful ventures resolved community issues for young and older people alike and made life more harmonious between the two groups.\\n\\nMike wraps up this first part of his interview with Andy by recalling his major and the changes that took place during his four years at Notre Dame, before he attended law school at Georgetown University.\\n\\nNext you'll listen in to a personal conversation between Dr. Joseph Novello and Andy. Andy is quick to thank Joe for his help with Andy's then teenage son, who came to visit one summer. Andy says he never forgot the advice he received from Dr. Novello, and passes it on to this day to parents of teenagers. \\n\\nThey also discuss how Joe became a Navy flight surgeon. At the peak of the Vietnam War, Joe was a resident in surgery after medical school at Michigan. He knew he would be drafted so he signed on to the Navy Flight Surgeon program. When he was done, his orders took him to Puerto Rico. While there he and his squadron made hops to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (GTMO) many times. Afterward, Joe went back to Michigan to do a residency in psychiatry.\\n\\nYou will also learn during their discussion that he was a child of immigrants and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. His parents expectations were that one of their sons would be a professional and the other a priest. Joe became and doctor and his brother became a priest - well sort of. Joe's brother is Don Novello who played Father Guido Sarducci on Saturday Night Live.\\n\\nAndy and Joe reminisce about Joe\\u2019s Saturday evening call-in show on WMAL. Joe mentions that it was somewhat unchartered territory which resulted in as Andy says \\u201cSome of the weirdiest calls\\u201d. Joe was very pleased with the service he provided his listeners on that show. His greatest moment though was not on his on show, but when he had to stay on to answer a few of Ken Beatrice's callers. Ken happened to be at training camp and was stuck in traffic so was late to his show. Dr. Novello stepped in to help out and took first two or three calls."