It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.

Brokaw contrasts two kinds of “success”: the relatively straightforward ability to earn money (“make a buck”) and the far more demanding work of creating lasting, positive impact (“make a difference”). The line implies that markets often reward effort quickly, but meaningful change requires persistence, moral clarity, and responsibility to others—qualities not guaranteed by financial achievement. It also carries a quiet critique of a culture that equates wealth with worth, urging a shift from private gain to public contribution. The aphoristic phrasing makes it a portable ethical reminder: measure a life not only by income, but by the good it leaves behind.