04/08/25 - Wakie Wakie 4:44

Welcome to Your 444 Newsletter!

Where boundaries, leadership, and leverage collide.

Today’s lesson?

It came from a woman who once called me sobbing because she couldn’t pay the rent.

I gave her grace.

Three weeks later, she served me court papers for wrongful eviction. (I hadn’t even filed one.)

Brutal?

Yep.

But necessary.

Because that was the day I stopped letting emotions run my business—and started leading it like a real deal maker.

👉 The full documentary drops soon. I break this down and more of the stories no one talks about. Watch the trailer + save your seat.

4 Thoughts to Reflect On

1. People will use emotion to manipulate your logic
   If you don’t learn to separate feelings from facts, your business will bleed.

2. Being “nice” can cost you everything
   Leadership means making hard calls, not just popular ones.

3. Guilt is not a business strategy
   You don’t owe anyone your peace, your profit, or your progress.

4. You’re building a business, not babysitting a circus
   Every time you bend for the wrong person, the right ones suffer.

4 Lessons I’ve Learned

1. Boundaries protect both sides
   It’s not about being cold. It’s about being clear and consistent.

2. Emotionally-driven decisions create long-term damage
   Reacting with your heart instead of your head will wreck your reputation and your revenue.

3. Enabling bad behavior trains people how to treat you
   If you let it slide once, it becomes your standard.

4. Contracts exist for when trust breaks down
   And trust always breaks down with the wrong people. Be ready.

4 Challenges to Tackle This Week

1. Review your policies and payment terms
   Are they clear, enforceable, and aligned with how you actually want to do business?

2. Audit your client roster
   Who’s costing you more energy than they’re worth?

3. Have one tough conversation you’ve been avoiding
   The longer you wait, the messier it gets. Handle it now.

4. Define your “line in the sand”
   What’s your non-negotiable when it comes to how you’re treated, paid, or respected?

👉 Want to see how I turned stories like this into real generational wealth? The documentary drops soon. Watch the trailer and save your seat now.

The day you stop running your business with guilt is the day it starts working like an empire.

And if you want to know what else they don’t teach you in business school…

You’ll see it all in the documentary.

Because the truth will either break you—or build you.

Choose wisely.
Mark Evans DM

Magician vs Mule - Discover the secrets to creating wealth and freedom
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