• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, December 4, 2014

How can you not love Jordan Zimmerman? The Florida man with an ego the size of Mt. Everest. The man who gives private lunch meetings, agency tours and autographed copies of his book to those who wow him. The man who hires back former CEOs. The man with arms the size of fenceposts!

Well, apparently all of the man's wondrous achievements have earned him the 2015 Horatio Alger Award, which honors success in the face of adversity. Zimmerman is one of 12 people to receive the award this year. 

Of the win, Zimmerman, who is chairman of Zimmerman Advertising (which claims $3.1 billion in 2013 billings), said: "It's an unbelievable honor. I was surprised and moved." Of his drive to achieve, Zimmerman added: "Everybody I met didn't like what they did for a living. My parents didn't like what they were doing. I said there's something wrong here, I realized the only way out was education and find my passion." Congratulations, Jordan.