Make More Love
by Ellen Dorian
Are you a male business leader who wants a hot and healthy marriage but feels consumed by the relentless demands of growing your company? Welcome!Make More Love is the podcast for high-performing male business leaders who want to achieve the business of their dreams—without losing the love of their life.Join host Ellen Dorian, veteran relationship expert and business coach, as she reveals practical strategies to maintain connection and intimate intensity in committed relationships.The show is a space for straight-up, judgment-free conversations about how listeners can be extraordinary in every way that matters—from handling the complexities of business to creating a deeply passionate relationship with their life partner without losing sight of what makes them uniquely themselves.Ellen brings her extensive expertise to challenge obsolete notions of masculinity, transactional thinking, false hierarchies, and the “work-life balance” myth—all of which can get in the way of building pas
Episodes
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87: The Vacation Test: How Do You Like Your Life?
What does vacation show you about the life you come home to? After returning from a wellness retreat in Greece, Ellen reflects on what stepping away from her normal routine revealed about her priorities, responsibilities, relationships, and the pace of her everyday life. Some of the discoveries...
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86: Strategic Vacations - Reducing Relationship Risk in Your Business Plan
What if the biggest thing missing from your business plan has nothing to do with the business? In this episode, Ellen talks about why taking intentional time away can create the space to see opportunities you miss when you’re buried in daily operations. After returning to a wellness retreat in...
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85: How to Get Out of the Doghouse & Repair Your Relationship
Is "The Doghouse" a concept that shows up in your relationship? You know...when something feels off with your partner, but you can't quite figure out what you did wrong? And you get frozen out. In this episode, I'm looking at what the doghouse really is and why it's such a common phenomenon. It...
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84: Relationship Betrayal: When a Mistake Crosses the Line
Every relationship includes letdowns, but some failures cause much deeper damage. In this episode, Ellen explains the difference between a disappointment, a breach of trust, and a full-on betrayal. She looks at the role of intent, why concealment can become the most damaging part of a betrayal…
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83: What’s Your Trust Archetype? How to Build a High-Trust Relationship
Ellen continues the conversation about trust by moving from the seven domains of trust into the personal patterns each partner brings to their relationship. She introduces seven relationship trust archetypes that shape how people naturally build trust, where they may create strain, and what they...
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82: Why Being Faithful Doesn’t Buy Trust in Your Relationship
In this episode of Make More Love, Ellen takes on one of the most misunderstood issues in long-term relationships: trust. Most people think about trust in terms of the obvious violations — betrayal, secrets, lies, and affairs. But trust can also erode through the repeated daily letdowns that make…
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81: Emotional Fitness in Practice: How to Find Yourself Again with Shaun Zetlin
Ellen continues her conversation with Shaun Zetlin, founder of Zetlin Fitness and author of Emotional Fitness. In Part 1, Ellen and Shaun focused on the philosophy and psychology of emotional fitness. In Part 2, they move into the practical side: choosing the right support, using Shaun’s five...
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80: Is Your Body Trying to Tell You Something? What to Watch Out For with Shaun Zetlin-Pt 1
Ellen speaks with Shaun Zetlin, founder of Zetlin Fitness and author of Emotional Fitness and Push-Up Progression. Shaun shares how being born with club feet, struggling with gross motor skills, and being picked last in gym class shaped his relationship with fitness, confidence, and resilience....
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79: Relationships Can't Run on Autopilot: How to Avoid a Crash
Ellen introduces the Five-Point Relationship Operating System — a practical, structured framework built from the same tools high-performing business owners already use every day. This isn't therapy. This isn't communication tips. It's a system. And you already know how to run one. When your...
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78: Blame, Judgment, and Avoidance — The Hidden Cost of Staying Stuck
Ellen continues her conversation with Bill Storm — Peak Performance Strategist and veteran of both the Tony Robbins organization and the John Maxwell Leadership Team — diving into three things that keep high-performing business owners from having the conversations that matter most. Part 1: Blame...
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77: Wake-Up Call--A No-BS Conversation with Bill Storm About Business and Marriage
In this season opener, Ellen sits down with Bill Storm — Peak Performance Strategist and veteran of both the Tony Robbins organization and the John Maxwell Leadership Team — for a candid conversation about what really happens to your relationship when you're deep in the work of building a…
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76: Annual Special: Valentine’s Day—Hallmark Holiday or Passionate Power Play
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…
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75: Annual Christmas Episode: The Spirit of Generosity in Relationships
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…
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74: When Christmas Time is Hard
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...
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73: Cut Holiday Relationship Stress Fast with 3 GGG Principles
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...
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72: Three Steps to Stop the Holidays From Derailing Your Relationship
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...
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71: Co-Pilot or Passenger? How to Start Steering Your Relationship Together
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...
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70: Playing the Long Game in Relationships or How I Spent My Vacation
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 -...
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69: Case Study-The Rise and Fall of a Relationship
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...
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68: The Brutal Truth About Relationship Conflict--and What to Do About It
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...
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67: Hot War Fighting Tactics that Will Wreck Your Relationship
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...
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66: "We Never Fight"-The Bright Side… and the Dark Side Too
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…
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65: The Vacation You Didn't Know You Needed
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...
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64: “Fish or Cut Bait? A Realistic Look at Starting Over
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…
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63: Don’t Make These Mistakes That Will Ruin Date Night
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...
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62: Dessert First-How to Make Your Relationship Fun Again
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…
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61: Stop Your Relationship from Becoming a Business Casualty
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...
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60: Intrinsic Passion – Reignite Desire Without Faking It
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...
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59: Your Relationship OS Part 2: Practicing Intentional Presence
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...
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58: Your Relationship OS Part 1: Staying Aligned, Independent, and Clear
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…
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57: Have You Fallen for the Worst Relationship Advice?
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...
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56: Bad Advice Part 3 - The Dangerous Kind
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" -...
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55: Bad Relationship Advice Part 2: The Dumb Head Scratching Kind
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...
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54: Bad Relationship Advice and How to Avoid it-Part 1
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…
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Make More Love Season 2 Trailer
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...
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51: Celebrating 50 Episodes and Answering Listeners' Relationship Questions
Today, we’re answering real listeners’ real questions—in real time. These aren’t hypotheticals. These are the exact moments real men are living through right now. From growing resentment during the grind of entrepreneurship, to being blindsided by a breakup, to feeling stuck in a sexless...
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50: Love, Money, and Self-Knowledge in Relationships — with Manny Wolfe (part 2)
In the second part of this deeply personal interview, Ellen breaks down the real-life lessons behind Manny Wolfe’s extraordinary story — from surviving a cult to confronting addiction and rebuilding his life. But this episode isn’t just about extreme experiences. If you're a business...
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49: Endless Loops: When Your Relationship Feels Like Groundhog Day (with Manny Wolfe – Part 1)
In this first part of a two-part conversation, Ellen Dorian sits down with speaker, author, and coach Manny Wolfe to explore how early life experiences, unresolved trauma, and subconscious patterns can trap us in relationship dynamics that feel like endless loops. From cult survival to addiction...
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48: When the Going Gets Tough-The Tough Go on Vacation
Summary Part 1: Why Vacations Matter Ellen shares why vacations aren’t just for rest—they’re essential to creative thinking, leadership clarity, and strong relationships. She explains how time away creates space for emotional reset, presence, and reconnection with your partner (and yourself).…
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47: Stop Searching for Happiness & Start Making It: Five No-BS Strategies
SUMMARY: In this final episode of the happiness series, Ellen Dorian brings everything together—why happiness matters, what gets in the way, and most importantly, how to actually build it. This episode is divided into three key parts: A review of the series—Happiness in relationships, the…
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46: Happiness or Resentment: What’s Fueling Your Relationship?
In this episode of Make More Love, Ellen Dorian introduces the Relationship Energy Spectrum and shows how your emotional state shapes the quality of your relationship. If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything “right” but still feel disconnected, this episode will help you identify the key...
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45: The Truth About Happiness in Relationships
In this episode of Make More Love, Ellen kicks off a new series on happiness—what it actually is, why it matters, and how it plays into having a fulfilling, passionate relationship. She tackles one of the biggest myths in relationships: "Happy Wife, Happy Life." What’s the real truth about...
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44: Date Nights: Understanding the Assignment!
Date night should be something you both look forward to—not a routine obligation that fizzles out over time. In this episode, we revisit the best strategies for making date night exciting, meaningful, and passion-fueled. Learn how to break out of the "dinner and a movie" rut, create unforgettable...
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43: Seriously? How to Bring Back the Fun in Your Relationship
Marriage is already an absurd idea when you think about it—so why do we get so serious about keeping it running smoothly? In this episode, Ellen introduces the Absurdity Principle of Relationship Growth and dives into three ways to inject more fun into your relationship. If your relationship…
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42: Stuck in the Doghouse? Here’s How to Get Out—and Stay Out
SUMMARY: If you didn't listen to last week's Valentine’s Day Special—or you listened but didn’t take action—there’s a chance you’re going to be in the doghouse. And if that’s the case, you’re going to need a plan to get out. In this episode, Ellen breaks down what the doghouse really is (hint…
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41: Valentine’s Day—Hallmark Holiday or Passionate Power Play
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…
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40: Can a Couple Stay Together When They Want Different Things Out of Life?
In the final episode of our Avoiding Divorce series, Ellen explores what happens when couples no longer want the same things in life. She breaks down the three main reasons this misalignment occurs, the emotional dynamics that make it worse, and the three principles to help get your relationship...
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39: The S*H*I*T Model: A Plan for Moving Beyond Betrayal
In this episode of Make More Love, Ellen Dorian explores the impact of betrayal on relationships and how it undermines trust, presence, and purpose—the key drivers of a passionate partnership. Ellen introduces the S*H*I*T Model, a practical framework designed to help listeners process betrayal,...
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38: The Other Four Horsemen: Hidden Relationship Dynamics That Kill Desire (Avoiding Divorce Series, Part 2 of 4)
Summary: Welcome to part two of our series on Divorce Season and how to avoid it. January is often called "divorce season," and we’re dedicating this month to helping you avoid becoming a statistic. In this episode, we tackle a crucial aspect of maintaining a thriving relationship: passion. We’ll...
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37: Will January Be Your Relationship Wake-Up Call?
In this episode of The Make More Love Show, Ellen explores why January is often called "Divorce Season" and reframes it as the perfect time for a Relationship Wake-Up Call. She introduces the concept of the "Recommitment Season" and explores the reasons why this time of year is critical for...
About this show
Are you a male business leader who wants a hot and healthy marriage but feels consumed by the relentless demands of growing your company? Welcome!Make More Love is the podcast for high-performing male business leaders who want to achieve the business of their dreams—without losing the love of their life.Join host Ellen Dorian, veteran relationship expert and business coach, as she reveals practical strategies to maintain connection and intimate intensity in committed relationships.The show is a space for straight-up, judgment-free conversations about how listeners can be extraordinary in every way that matters—from handling the complexities of business to creating a deeply passionate relationship with their life partner without losing sight of what makes them uniquely themselves.Ellen brings her extensive expertise to challenge obsolete notions of masculinity, transactional thinking, false hierarchies, and the “work-life balance” myth—all of which can get in the way of building pas
Hosted by
Ellen Dorian