Ben Zimmerman - A Character With Character

...because interesting people are more fun to work with

by Ben Zimmerman and Reagan Pugh on June 15th, 2012

I grew up in Cuero, Texas (population 6,700) and I’m very much a small town kid. Before we get too far, I should note that I’ve never owned a cowboy hat or a horse, but I was the grandson of a pig farmer and always enjoy a good night of country dancing. I’m a lifelong fan of the San Antonio Spurs and Texas A&M Aggies, which means that I’m still in distress over the Spurs' recent loss to the Thunder (the Kalypso Operations Team can attest to this). They can also attest to my unrivaled addiction to Dr. Pepper, Sour Patch Kids and gummy bears). Most of my free time is spent with my family, my girlfriend Samantha and my 22-pound guard dog, Jackson. I enjoy a good road trip, Saturday afternoon golf games and weekend fishing tournaments. The saying must hold true: “You can take the boy out of the small town, but you can’t take the small town out of the boy.”

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” This is why I consider perfect happiness to be the points in time in which I sit back, relax and enjoy the simple things in life. This often involves sitting in the Frio River with Samantha and Jackson while enjoying a cold Coors Light. See above for photographic evidence of our most recent trip to the Frio whereby I was honored to win the Tackiest Sunglasses Award!

Who would you have liked to be?

A PGA Tour golfer or a professional student.  As a professional golfer I’d have the opportunity to travel the world playing golf at the most historic and majestic golf courses, while earning a pretty penny doing so. Unfortunately, my propensity to three-putt a time or ten eliminated that occupation from my radar. Life as a professional student wouldn’t be so bad either; I could continue the learning process without having to repay student loans on a weekly basis. In fact, having my school loans deferred, or all together eliminated, would have been an appropriate answer to the first question.

What is your greatest fear?

Doll heads! My mom collected them when I was growing up. She said they were antique collectibles. I said they were creepy. No matter what you call them, one thing is for sure… they scare the hell out of me!

Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?

Atticus Finch. He had the integrity to advocate for the unpopular view and the courage to stand by his convictions, all while displaying supreme respect and tolerance for the viewpoints of others.  Not to mention, he was a top-notch family man, fantastic attorney and “the deadest shot in Maycomb County in his time.” My little brothers might argue that I, on the other hand, have “the worst shot in DeWitt County.”

If you were to obsessively collect an item, which item would it be and why?

I already obsessively collect shoes, although I’m not sure a man should admit to that. The way I see it, I am a professional by day, a washed-up athlete (probably more of a “never-was” athlete) on the intramural field by evening and a two-steppin’ fool by night.  As such, I’m required to have a collection of shoes (usually situated in the back seat of my truck) for every occasion.

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Ben is Kalypso's in-house legal counsel. Hiring Characters with Character is one of Kalypso's core values - click here to learn more about our values and firm culture.

Topics: Ben Zimmerman, Characters with Character, Kalypso Culture, Kalypso Employees, Kalypso Values, Keep Kalypso Weird

About the Authors

Ben Zimmerman, Legal Counsel Ben brings a wide array of litigation and transactional experience to his role as legal counsel for Kalypso. Drawing on this experience, he leads all legal matters for Kalypso. Read more articles by Ben Zimmerman

Reagan Pugh, Raconteur Reagan likes to watch, read and tell stories. He often wishes he was Batman - you know, grappling hooks. Read more articles by Reagan Pugh