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“Success is not defined by money. Success should be defined by what you do for others.” – AJ Peterson 

This quote is from the owner and president of Lone Wolf Financial, AJ Peterson. Lone Wolf Financial is a small investment insurance firm located in Des Moines, Iowa. Peterson works with a wide variety of clients. What sets them apart from the pack is that the firm strives to fairly represent small-town residents.  

Peterson grew up in Madrid, a small-town farming community about 30 miles northwest of Des Moines. The town has a population of about 2,800 residents. Peterson’s grandparents lived on a farm, and he worked on a farm on and off during his time in high school. However, he wouldn’t necessarily say he grew up on a farm. Being a small-town kid, Peterson was interested in hobbies like hunting, fishing, and chasing the sports dream. In high school Peterson was a three-sport athlete playing track, basketball, and football for the Madrid Tigers.  

After graduating, Peterson decided to head to Cedar Rapids to attend and play football at a small private school Coe College. In his first two years of football, Peterson played defense and was a punter who played on special teams. In his last two years with the teams, they switched him to playing at tight end.  

After college he had the opportunity to play for a semi-pro football league in Germany by playing for the Ravensburg Razorbacks. The Razorbacks are now a part of the top league in German football because of the European relegation and promotion system that is seen in the sport of soccer. Peterson had the opportunity to try out for the World League which would become NFL Europe before inevitably folding, but he decided to head back to the states and retire from his sports career.  

“You win, you lose, and how do you deal with that throughout my childhood, through college, has taught me how to be a better businessperson,” Peterson said.  

During that gap year after returning from Germany, Peterson was faced with adversity trying to find work.  

“You get humbled, right? As good as you think you are, you realize you’re just not that good. And that’s part of the life process. When you are kinda on a high, you get knocked down, how do you bring yourself back up, and find another direction?” Peterson said.  

 Peterson then decided to go to a career fair at the University of Northern Iowa located in Cedar Falls. He was approached by some young stockbrokers who wanted him to come to Des Moines and work for them. Eventually, Peterson did not want to be confined in a box by these types of businesses as it was not what fit him best. He decided to ‘go rogue’ and start his own business.  

In June 2005, Peterson started his own business where he faced hard challenges in the first six months of starting. He recently bought a house and just had a baby. 

Peterson remembers clearly the stuggles with starting a business and his primary reason for starting one. 

“What I wanted to do was service versus sales,” Peterson said. 

Peterson cared more about the experience than what he sold. He is inspired to represent smaller clients so that they have a voice and are well represented and treated fairly. Peterson credits this to his dad wanting him to stick up for people.  

Peterson does not like being in business suits and would rather meet face to face than work for a faceless and emotionless large corporation that only cared about profit than service. That is what lead to Peterson breaking off from the majority. Peterson is also selfless and will do what he can to help anyone.  

President of Sport Management club, Bryce Dean, has known Peterson for most of his life. 

“He’s probably one of the most giving, caring people I know,” Dean said.   

Dean has known Peterson for nineteen years, and the two are like father and son.  

“He’s probably the closest thing to Evil Knievel I can ever think of,” Dean said.  

Dean describes Peterson as wild, funny, and a family man. Dean also says that Peterson is a caring person and will help people in need.  

“A couple years ago my dad had an aortic dissection. One of the walls in his heart ripped open. And we honestly didn’t know if he was going to make it through the three, four-hour time span that was like the most critical. AJ was one of the first people to be at the house, and this is like two, three in the morning,” Dean said.  

Peterson made sure Dean and his siblings were doing okay and even made sure to sneak Dean’s parents’ coffee and other things into the hospital. This was during COVID when patients could only have one person visiting at all times. Peterson also helped Dean’s family when his dad was recently laid off and going through financial troubles. Dean never saw Peterson as a professional athlete.  

“You know, to be honest with you, that’s never really been a part of who AJ is to us. We all knew he was a really good athlete in high school and in college and that he had played overseas, but, it’s not something that he like brings up, brags about or anything like, to be honest,” Dean said that. 

Peterson is an example of someone who puts others before themselves and would rather take time to get to know you and learn how he can help you grow and mature rather than boasting about his accomplishments. A true Iowan no matter if he is in Germany playing football or working in Des Moines in jeans and a plaid shirt. AJ Peterson will always be willing to help you with a smile.