Episodes

In this Valentine’s Day special episode, Ellen Dorian dives into the history, meaning, and modern-day pressures of the holiday. Whether listeners are diehard romantics or Valentine’s Day cynics, Ellen provides practical advice and creative ideas to help them plan a day that fits their relationship. From understanding their partner’s expectations to avoiding last-minute stress, this episode is packed with insights to make Valentine's Day a meaningful and stress-free experience. Part 1: Underst...

In this special holiday episode, Ellen Dorian reflects on the Spirit of Generosity, a concept she learned from her father and continues to embody in her coaching. Through heartfelt storytelling, she introduces the five aspects of generosity—emotional, relational, philosophical, action-oriented, and legacy-focused—and shares actionable ways to bring these into your relationships. This episode is a guide to creating deeper connections, fostering trust, and leaving a meaningful legacy for your love...

In this heartfelt bonus episode of the Make More Love Podcast, Ellen Dorian addresses the complex emotions that can arise during the Christmas season, especially for those who feel isolated, disconnected, or out-of-step with the festivities. Drawing from personal experiences and real client stories, Ellen offers compassionate strategies for coping with holiday loneliness, respecting individual traditions, and rebuilding meaningful connections—both with ourselves and those we love. Part 1: Nav...

The holiday season can transform what should be magical moments into stressful, pressure-filled events—especially for high-performing men balancing relationships, business demands, and personal fulfillment. In this insightful solo episode, host Ellen Dorian shares the practical "GGG Principles"—Gratitude, Generosity, and Grace—as anchors to help couples thrive and deepen connection through the holidays (and beyond). Part 1: The Reality of Holiday Expectations Ellen explores how holidays often...

Ellen Dorian addresses the stress and conflict that holidays bring to high-performing business leaders, particularly business owners facing Q4 pressures alongside personal obligations. She introduces a strategic planning approach to transform the holiday season from a source of tension into an opportunity for connection. Through the story of client Bill and his wife Gina, Ellen demonstrates how joint planning, clear boundaries, and shared ownership can prevent the annual cycle of holiday resentm...

Ellen Dorian explores how business owners can strengthen their relationships by treating their partnership as the foundation that holds everything else together. Drawing from a Trevor Noah podcast quote about spending time with his father, she examines the cost of making unilateral business decisions without partner input. The episode provides a framework for integrating business and relationship priorities through structured communication, tiered decision-making, and weekly alignment meetings. ...

Ellen Dorian shares insights from her 10th anniversary Viking river cruise, highlighting three key moves for long-lasting relationships: acceptance, longevity, and defaulting to yes. Part 1: Acceptance in Long Term Relationships - Recognizing and appreciating your partner's authentic self - Distinguishing between tolerance, resignation, and genuine acceptance - Example: Steve's acceptance of Ellen's coffee house visits Part 2: Longevity and Vitality - Importance of physical, mental, ...

Ellen Dorian analyzes the movie "The Roses" as a case study for relationship decline, illustrating Make More Love's Hierarchy of Relationship Needs and Spiral of Decline models. She breaks down the film's plot, highlighting key disruptions that lead to the couple's downfall, and relates these to common relationship issues faced by high-performing individuals. Part 1: Introduction and Movie Analysis - Ellen introduces the episode's focus on "The Roses" as a relationship case study - Explana...

Ellen Dorian discusses strategies for managing conflict in relationships, introducing the concept of "passionate problem solving" as an alternative to cold war and hot war conflict styles. She outlines two pathways: early intervention and radical repair, drawing inspiration from kink and BDSM protocols and Japanese apology frameworks. Part 1: Understanding Conflict and Early Intervention - Esther Perel's three categories of conflict: power and control, respect and recognition, care and closen...

Ellen Dorian explores hot war fighting tactics in relationships, discussing the escalation from Cold War to Hot War styles of conflict. She breaks down the spectrum of conflict, from bickering to brutality, and offers insights on recognizing and addressing unhealthy patterns. Part 1: The Spectrum of Conflict - Bickering as the turning point from Cold War to Hot War - Arguing as a conscious form of conflict - Fighting as a more aggressive, theatrical form of conflict - Brutality as th...

Ellen Dorian explores the concept of "never fighting" in relationships, discussing various reasons why couples might claim they don't fight and the potential implications for their relationship health. Part 1: Reasons for "Never Fighting" - Disengagement and avoidance - Temperament and perceptions - Philosophy and healthy skills Part 2: Analyzing "Never Fighting" in Relationships - Looking beneath the surface - Attacking the problem, not each other - Practicing conflict resolut...

Ellen Dorian, host of Make More Love, shares insights from her unexpected vacation in Lisbon, emphasizing the importance of balancing structure and spontaneity in both business and relationships. She discusses the need for resilience, planned breaks, and creating systems that allow for personal time off without compromising business operations. Part 1: The Importance of Planned Breaks - Ellen's unplanned vacation in Lisbon highlights the need for breaks before burnout - Resilience as a core pr...

Ellen Dorian addresses a listener's question about whether to end a long-term relationship, offering insights on recognizing emotional attachment, repairing relationships, and considering the hidden costs of divorce. Part 1: Analyzing Emotional Disengagement - Emotional clues indicating persistent attachment to a relationship - The significance of anger, bargaining, and seeking validation - Statistical insights on marital conflicts and desires for change Part 2: Strategies for Relati...

Ellen Dorian discusses common mistakes made in restaurants that can ruin date nights, offering practical advice to enhance romantic experiences and strengthen relationships. Part 1: Restaurant Etiquette and Date Night Atmosphere - The importance of making reservations - Avoiding rudeness towards restaurant staff - Refraining from extreme menu customization - Handling complaints discreetly Part 2: Financial Considerations and Tipping - Avoiding price audits and money talk at the ta...

Ellen Dorian discusses the importance of enjoying time with your partner and offers strategies to bring fun and playfulness back into relationships, especially for busy professionals. Part 1: Rediscovering Joy in Relationships - Ellen emphasizes the significance of simply enjoying being together - Introduces the concept of "affinity" from her relationship hierarchy of needs - Encourages listeners to reflect on their favorite activities with their partner - Addresses the challenge of ...

Ellen Dorian discusses the importance of balancing business growth with maintaining a healthy relationship. She emphasizes the risks of neglecting one's partnership while focusing solely on business success, and offers strategies to protect and nurture both aspects of life. Part 1: The Blind Spot in Business Coaching - Ellen shares insights from a recent business coaching conference - Highlights the common oversight of relationship health in business coaching - Introduces the concept of...

Ellen Dorian discusses the importance of intrinsic passion in relationships, focusing on sex and intimacy. She explores why passion fades, differences between men and women, and provides strategies to reignite passion. Part 1: Understanding Passion in Relationships - Sex as the "glue" of healthy relationships - Differentiating between sex, passion, and intimacy - Reasons for loss of interest in sex for men and women - Rejecting the idea that passion naturally fades over time Part ...

Ellen Dorian discusses intentional presence as a crucial element in building passionate partnerships. She breaks down this concept into three core habits: attentiveness, authenticity, and resilience. Part 1: Attentiveness - Keeping focus and paying attention to your partner - Active listening and remembering important details - Weekly planning meetings and daily check-ins Part 2: Authenticity - Showing up as your true self and respecting your partner's truth - The importance of ho...

Host Ellen Dorian discusses the three core principles successful couples practice to maintain strong, lifelong relationships. She introduces the first principle, "Inclusive Purpose," and explains its importance in creating alignment and avoiding common relationship pitfalls. Part 1: The Three Core Principles of Successful Relationships - Inclusive Purpose - Intentional Presence - Intrinsic Passion Part 2: Exploring Inclusive Purpose - Definition: A harmonious sense of direction that honors b...

Ellen Dorian challenges the popular notion that "all you need is love" in relationships, arguing that this oversimplified view can lead to failed marriages. She discusses why love alone isn't sufficient for building resilient partnerships and outlines what's truly necessary for long-term relationship success. Part 1: The Problem with "All You Need is Love" - Love is not enough to sustain long-term relationships - Believing love is all you need can cause you to ignore real issues - Love ...

Host Ellen Dorian dissects dangerous relationship advice, offering insights on love imbalances, misguided solutions, and the importance of proactive relationship maintenance. Part 1: The Dangers of Unequal Love - Explores the advice: "Be with someone who loves you more than you love them" - Discusses the negative impacts of this approach on relationships and self-worth - Highlights the importance of mutual love and respect in partnerships Part 2: Misguided Solutions for Relationsh...

Ellen Dorian dissects three pieces of bad relationship advice, offering insights on maintaining effort in marriage, handling conflicts, and the importance of apologizing. She provides practical strategies for nurturing long-term relationships and maintaining passion. Part 1: Debunking "You Don't Have to Impress Anyone After Marriage" - Marriage doesn't mean stopping self-care or effort - Continued investment in oneself shows respect for the partner - Maintaining attractiveness contribut...

Ellen Dorian kicks off Season 2 of Make More Love by addressing bad relationship advice, categorizing it into vague, dumb, and wrong. This episode focuses on vague advice, highlighting its ineffectiveness and offering practical alternatives. Part 1: The Problem with Vague Advice - Ellen introduces three types of bad relationship advice: vague, dumb, and wrong. - She emphasizes the importance of proper diagnosis in relationship issues. - Ellen introduces the Make More Love Relationship D...

Welcome to Season 2 of Make More Love This is the relationship podcast for high-performing business leaders — where you won’t get the standard relationship advice. Why? Because the life you live demands more than the Average Joe. You carry more responsibility, navigate higher stakes, and solve bigger problems than most people ever will. But the traits that make you successful in your business life — decisiveness, focus, speed — can work against you in your love life. That’s why this show d...