09/24/25 - Wakie Wakie 4:44

Welcome to Your 444 Newsletter!

Where trust, leadership, and hard lessons collide.

Today’s topic?

What happens when trust gets broken inside your business.

If you’ve ever had a partner or employee betray your trust, you know how heavy it hits.

It’s not just about money or missed deadlines.

It’s about the gut punch of realizing someone you counted on was never really in your corner.

The truth?

Broken trust is expensive.

It costs time, energy, and momentum.

And if you don’t deal with it directly, it keeps costing you.

4 Thoughts to Reflect On

1. Trust is your most valuable asset. 
   Lose it, and you lose speed. Business slows down when you’re second-guessing everyone.

2. Character shows up under pressure. 
   Anyone can smile when things are easy. Watch who stands tall when it gets hard.

3. A weak link weakens the chain. 
   One person not pulling their weight drags the entire team down.

4. Rebuilding trust is harder than starting fresh. 
   Sometimes the smartest move isn’t repair. It’s replace.

4 Lessons I’ve Learned

1. Broken trust doesn’t fix itself. 
   If you avoid the issue, you’re just inviting it to happen again.

2. Your standards set the tone. 
   If you tolerate shady behavior, you just told the rest of the team it’s acceptable.

3. Second chances cost more than you think. 
   Loyalty is good. Blind loyalty is expensive.

4. The right people protect the vision. 
   When you’ve got A-players, trust becomes a multiplier, not a liability.

4 Challenges for You This Week

1. Think back: Has trust been broken in your business before?
   Write down what it cost you.

2. Audit your current partnerships and hires.
   Who strengthens your trust? Who drains it?

3. Decide now how you’ll handle broken trust if it happens again.
   Waiting until the moment is too late.

4. Hit reply and tell me your story. 
   What happened when trust got broken in your business? I want to hear it.

Trust is either your greatest advantage or your biggest risk.
The way you handle it will decide which one it becomes.

So let me ask again: What happened the last time trust got broken in your business?

Hit reply and tell me.



Mark Evans DM