78: Blame, Judgment, and Avoidance — The Hidden Cost of Staying Stuck

About this episode

Ellen Dorian and Bill Storm discuss the hidden costs of blame, judgment, and avoidance in high-performing business owners.

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 Blame isn't one thing — it's three. Ellen breaks down fair blame, unfair blame, and self-blame, and gives you a practical strategy for handling each one. The goal isn't to avoid blame altogether. It's to stop letting it run your life. Part 2: Judgment Judgment hits differently than blame because it goes after your identity — not what you did, but who you are. Ellen and Bill talk about why high-performing men are particularly vulnerable to this, and why the best strategy is simpler than you think. Part 3: Avoidance If blame and judgment are the stimulus, avoidance is the response. Ellen makes the case that most of us undersell ourselves when it comes to dealing with hard situations — and that the skills you need to have this conversation are skills you already have. You just haven't applied them here yet. Key Takeaways: Blame has three forms — fair, unfair, and self-blame — and each one…

People in this episode

Host: Ellen Dorian

Guest: Bill Storm

Topics covered

• blame
• judgment
• avoidance
• high performance
• business conversations

Keywords

• blame
• judgment
• avoidance
• high performance
• business owners
• conversations
• self-blame

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Tony Robbins organization, John Maxwell Leadership Team

More episodes of Make More Love

• 81: Emotional Fitness in Practice: How to Find Yourself Again with Shaun Zetlin · May 28, 2026 · 23 min
• 80: Is Your Body Trying to Tell You Something? What to Watch Out For with Shaun Zetlin-Pt 1 · May 14, 2026 · 17 min
• 79: Relationships Can't Run on Autopilot: How to Avoid a Crash · April 30, 2026 · 16 min
• 77: Wake-Up Call--A No-BS Conversation with Bill Storm About Business and Marriage · March 27, 2026 · 17 min
• 76: Annual Special: Valentine’s Day—Hallmark Holiday or Passionate Power Play · February 5, 2026 · 16 min
• 75: Annual Christmas Episode: The Spirit of Generosity in Relationships · December 23, 2025 · 14 min