Between working on philanthropic projects, making music, and discussing his newest book, Life is What You Make It, Peter Buffett has a lot on his plate. For this reason I was excited to hear that Buffett still had time for an interview. I imagined a New York celebrity stopping in to answer a few questions, his responses practically automatic from past interviews. In reality, not only was he able to talk to us, but he was very generous with his time. He answered all of our questions thoughtfully. He never rushed to leave, despite having another appointment. He took time to autograph books and take pictures. It is one thing to discuss and write about living in the present as he does in his book, but it is another to actually put that principal in action. I was overjoyed to see that Buffett was living up to his words not only at home, but when surrounded by fans.

While at first Peter Buffett can be recognized by his last name – he is the son of Warren Buffett, well known for acquiring extreme wealth in the Midwest through hard work – it wasn't long before I thought of him as a musician, a thinker, a person of change. Reading his book and asking him questions in person gave me a new understanding of Buffett's life. I learned that despite growing up in a wealthy family, he is entirely, well, normal. During our interview, he wore average clothes. He talked about growing up playing music and practicing photography. He was inspired by his dad, which is characteristic of many young men. Average things done in a not-so-average life.

With this new observation, I began listening to his ideas – for world change, about money, involving family – and was captivated by his knowledge and innovative thinking. Though I've always considered my own ideas about all of these things to be slightly unusual, I found that many of my ideas matched Buffett's. Hearing these concepts from someone I had grown to admire during my research and during our interview was a sincere privilege.
In signing a copy of his book, Peter Buffett wrote "Thanks for the great questions!" Though Buffett thanked us kindly for the interview, I felt even more appreciative of his time and sincere answers.