Episode
72: Three Steps to Stop the Holidays From Derailing Your Relationship
- Podcast
- Make More Love
- Published
- Nov 20, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 1224
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://makemorelove.show
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/make-more-love-6719840/episodes/72-three-steps-to-stop-the-holidays-from-derailing-your-relationship/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/make-more-love-6719840/72-three-steps-to-stop-the-holidays-from-derailing-your-relationship.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
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 resentment that often leads to January's "divorce season." Part 1: Understanding Holiday Pressure Points - Recognition that holidays arrive during Q4 chaos for business owners. - Identification of competing demands: closing deals, managing budgets, and handling staff needs. - Acknowledgment of seasonality impacts—some businesses face their busiest period while others experience dead zones. - The compounding effect of personal demands from partners, family obligations, and social events. - Pressure to appear joyful despite mounting stress. Part 2: The Planning Framework - Starting with baseline questions about what worked, what didn't, what was missing, and what to change. - The necessity of partner buy-in rather than unilateral decision-making. - Bill and Gina's story as a case study in initiating the planning conversation. - Three core elements: planning together, setting limits, and taking ownership. - Two essential ground rules: everything is open for discussion, and protecting the couple comes first. - Establishing a gatekeeping script for external pressures. Part 3: Building Your Holiday Strategy - Two approaches: blue ocean brainstorming or process of elimination. - Using post-it notes to map out events, tasks, and obligations visually. - Three key decisions: enthusiastic yeses,…