09/03/25 - Wakie Wakie 4:44

Welcome to Your 444 Newsletter!

Where money, purpose, and staying in the game collide.

Today’s topic?

Everyone’s chasing that big number.

10M. 50M. 100M.

But when you hit it, then what?
Sit on the beach sipping drinks?
Trust me, that gets old way faster than you think.

Without purpose, people self-destruct.

Look at Tony Hsieh from Zappos.
Sold for $400M.
Ended up lost in addiction and died in a freak accident.
Or Markus Persson, creator of Minecraft.
Sold for billions, but wound up sad and lonely.

The problem is never the money.
The problem is when there’s no journey left.

That’s why guys like Bezos and Musk keep building.
They don’t chase the number.
They chase purpose and growth.
Money just follows.

That’s also why I built the Deal Maker Alliance.

It’s where I stay sharp by surrounding myself with business owners and founders who are here for the long game.

Because when you hit your number and the journey feels over, the wrong room will let you rot.
The right room will push you higher.

4 Thoughts to Reflect On

1. Money is fuel, not the finish line.
   The real win is using it to build something that outlasts you.

2. Purpose outlives the payout.
   If you stop building once you cash out, you’ll collapse fast.

3. Comfort is the real enemy.
   Success without growth turns into self-destruction.

4. The room sets the standard.
   Be around builders who will keep you moving, even when the number says you could stop.

4 Lessons I’ve Learned

1. Chasing only money leaves you empty.
   Without a bigger mission, the peak feels like a cliff.

2. Growth is oxygen.
   You stop growing, you stop breathing in business.

3. Purpose multiplies money.
   The more meaning behind the mission, the more money follows naturally.

4. The right circle keeps you accountable.
   It is too easy to coast when no one around you expects more.

4 Challenges for You This Week

1. Write down your “number.”
   Then write down what you’d actually do the day after hitting it.

2. Audit your goals.
   Are they just about money, or about impact and purpose?

3. Look at your circle.
   Do they push you forward, or let you drift once you’re comfortable?

4. Apply to the Deal Maker Alliance.
   Get in a room that keeps you growing.

Everyone’s chasing the number.
Few are chasing the purpose.

The number is temporary.
Purpose is forever.

Mark Evans DM