The Game Changer Podcast

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Unlocking the Power of Communication: Insights from Brett Lavender

Effective communication is a critical skill that influences every aspect of our lives, from personal relationships to professional success. In this blog post, we dive deep into the transformative journey of Brett Lavender, a communication expert who has trained Fortune 100 executives and elite performers. We explore key insights that can help you enhance your communication skills and better understand the dynamics of human interaction.

Understanding the Communication Epidemic

Brett begins by identifying a pervasive issue in modern society: a widespread lack of self-awareness and awareness of others. This lack of awareness hinders effective communication and can lead to misunderstandings and conflict.

The Lost Languages of Communication

Brett emphasizes the importance of mastering what he calls the "lost languages" of communication, which include:

• Eye Contact: Establishing connection and trust.
• Body Language: Non-verbal cues that convey emotions and intentions.
• Facial Expressions: Understanding subtle signals that reflect feelings.
• Tone of Voice: The impact of how something is said versus what is said.

These elements are often overlooked, yet they play a crucial role in how we are perceived and how we perceive others. By becoming aware of these aspects, we can improve our communication effectiveness significantly.

Key Takeaways for Effective Communication

To summarize Brett's insights, here are some actionable takeaways:

• Master Non-Verbal Cues: Pay attention to eye contact, body language, and tone to enhance your communication.
• Embrace Your Story: Use your personal experiences, even the challenging ones, to connect with others.
• Build a Support Network: Surround yourself with mentors and individuals who encourage your growth.
• Be Mindful of Your Environment: Choose settings that nurture your ability to communicate and thrive.

To learn more from Brett Lavender: https://www.thepersuasivelion.com/ 

The Persuasive Lion Book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/02TqGv9O 

Join Brett’s Master Class this Sunday, August 16th, 2026,  3 p.m.  Register here: 

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/NaaZmzJxTpGidc2IGl84Ag 

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·          

·         The Game Changer Podcast is hosted by Michelle Dutro — Air Force veteran, former firefighter, PTSD nonprofit founder, and founder of Inner North Star Retreat in Julian, CA. Each episode brings you conversations with physicians, scientists, athletes, and conscious living pioneers who are changing the game in health, mindset, and human performance.

·         If this conversation moved you, please leave a review — it helps more seekers find their way here.

·         This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, therapist, or other qualified health professional. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your health or wellness routine.

🤝 Let’s Connect: linktr.ee/michelledutro 
🌐 Learn more: www.michelledutro.com 
🏞️ Retreat Center: www.innernorthstar.com

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What if you were born with a specific life design — and your dreams have been trying to show it to you all along?

In this episode of The Game Changer Podcast, host Michelle Dutro sits down with Caleb Matthews — a former corporate sales leader turned purpose coach — to reveal how your innate design, childhood memories, and recurring dreams hold the blueprint for your calling.

Caleb breaks down his DNA Design Quiz: a 7-type framework that helps you stop chasing someone else's path and start living the one you were built for.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why your recurring dreams and childhood memories reveal your life's purpose
• The 7 design types and how to identify yours
• How to transition from a "successful" career to a purpose-aligned life
• Why most people are living someone else's design — and how to break free
• How to use the DNA Design Quiz to unlock your unique contribution

To learn more about Caleb’s work: https://www.calebmatthews.net/ 

🎯 Take the DNA Design Quiz: https://john-qr5y9qhe.scoreapp.com/

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▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michelledutro
🔗 Everything else: https://linktr.ee/michelledutro
🌐 michelledutro.com

The Game Changer Podcast is hosted by Michelle Dutro — Air Force veteran, former firefighter, PTSD nonprofit founder, and founder of Inner North Star Retreat in Julian, CA. Each episode brings you conversations with physicians, scientists, athletes, and conscious living pioneers who are changing the game in health, mindset, and human performance.

If this conversation moved you, please leave a review — it helps more seekers find their way here.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, therapist, or other qualified health professional. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your health or wellness routine.

🤝 Let’s Connect: linktr.ee/michelledutro 
 🌐 Learn more: www.michelledutro.com 
 🏞️ Retreat Center: www.innernorthstar.com

🤝 Let’s Connect: linktr.ee/michelledutro 
🌐 Learn more: www.michelledutro.com 
🏞️ Retreat Center: www.innernorthstar.com

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What happens when the interviewer becomes the interviewee?

In this special episode, The Game Changer Podcast host Michelle Dutro flips the script — sitting in the hot seat with Master Coach Michael Ostrolenk on his Resilience Redefined Podcast. Michael turns his most powerful questions on Michelle, drawing out the story behind her journey from Air Force veteran and firefighter to biofeedback specialist and founder of the Inner North Star Retreat Center in Julian, CA.

What unfolds is a raw, honest conversation about the two things blocking most people from healing — who they think they are, and the environment they live in.

You'll hear: — Why 80% of emergency calls are preventable — and what it revealed about healing — How biofeedback works as a "lie detector" for your nervous system — The overlap between PTSD, chronic stress, and peak performance — A sneak peek into Michelle's upcoming book, The Cloud Conversation

Guest Host: Michael Ostrolenk, MA, MFT — Master Coach in Resilience, Leadership & Elite Performance | www.michaeldostrolenk.com

This episode was originally recorded for the Resilience Redefined Podcast, hosted by Michael Ostrolenk, MA, MFT — Master Coach in Resilience, Leadership & Elite Performance with 30+ years working with special operators, CEOs, and high-achieving individuals. All credit for this recording belongs to Michael Ostrolenk and the Resilience Redefined Podcast. Original episode: 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0g6D1gtfXgid8vpaUCYovC?si=-F3tMZHZQHCvheLMVMatMg

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▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michelledutro
🔗 Everything else: https://linktr.ee/michelledutro
🌐 michelledutro.com

The Game Changer Podcast is hosted by Michelle Dutro — Air Force veteran, former firefighter, PTSD nonprofit founder, and founder of Inner North Star Retreat in Julian, CA. Each episode brings you conversations with physicians, scientists, athletes, and conscious living pioneers who are changing the game in health, mindset, and human performance.

If this conversation moved you, please leave a review — it helps more seekers find their way here.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, therapist, or other qualified health professional. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your health or wellness routine.

🤝 Let’s Connect: linktr.ee/michelledutro 
🌐 Learn more: www.michelledutro.com 
🏞️ Retreat Center: www.innernorthstar.com

🤝 Let’s Connect: linktr.ee/michelledutro 
🌐 Learn more: www.michelledutro.com 
🏞️ Retreat Center: www.innernorthstar.com

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What if your doctor knows more than they're allowed to tell you?

Dr. Hart walked away from a successful oncology career — not because she failed, but because she discovered healing tools that mainstream medicine refused to acknowledge. In this episode of The Game Changer Podcast, Dr. Hart shares the truth about what she found on the other side of conventional medicine: energy healing, epigenetics, childhood trauma, and the emotional root causes of chronic disease.

This is a conversation about prevention, self-advocacy, and what becomes possible when you stop waiting for the healthcare system to save you.

In this episode you'll hear:

— Why the biggest health wins happen before a diagnosis ever arrives — How unresolved childhood trauma rewires your biology and drives chronic inflammation 

— What MAP and CAP therapy are and why they're reaching where medication alone cannot

 — How epigenetics explains why your history becomes your health 

— The financial incentives inside healthcare that keep patients focused on treatment, not healing

 — Why energy medicine is not "alternative", it's foundational 

— How to become the CEO of your own health and find the answers your doctor won't bring up in a 15-minute appointment

Dr. Hart's story is rare. She risked her career to tell the truth. If you've ever felt like conventional medicine missed something important about your health — your trauma, your emotions, your energy — this episode will change the way you see healing.

Topics include: emotional healing, energy healing, childhood trauma, somatic healing, trauma and disease, epigenetics, integrative medicine, holistic health, cancer prevention, nervous system healing, energy medicine, and self-advocacy in healthcare.

 To Reach Dr. Hart for a Cancer Consultation:
https://h2hcc.com/dr-noushin-hart/

To learn more about her Integrative modalities:
https://healingbyhart.com/

Follow Michelle & The Game Changer Podcast:
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▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michelledutro
🔗 Everything else: https://linktr.ee/michelledutro
🌐 michelledutro.com

The Game Changer Podcast is hosted by Michelle Dutro — Air Force veteran, former firefighter, PTSD nonprofit founder, and founder of Inner North Star Retreat in Julian, CA. Each episode brings you conversations with physicians, scientists, athletes, and conscious living pioneers who are changing the game in health, mindset, and human performance.

If this conversation moved you, please leave a review — it helps more seekers find their way here.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, therapist, or other qualified health professional. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your health or wellness routine.

🤝 Let’s Connect: linktr.ee/michelledutro 
🌐 Learn more: www.michelledutro.com 
🏞️ Retreat Center: www.innernorthstar.com

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What if your body already has everything it needs to heal — and it's just waiting for the right signal?

Dr. Tommy Rhee is a U.S. Navy aircrew veteran turned chiropractor who spent years treating elite athletes with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and UCLA Athletics before founding RheeGen and writing The Future of Regenerative Medicine. His philosophy is simple but radical: your body has far more capacity to repair itself than modern medicine gives it credit for — you just have to put it in the right environment.

In this episode of The Game Changer Podcast, Dr. Rhee joins Michelle Dutro to separate longevity myths from facts across every decade of life. From the off-field habits that determine which athletes last, to the chronic inflammation quietly sabotaging your energy, to why your 40s are your "second shot" at building the muscle that carries you into your 80s — this conversation is a roadmap for aging on your own terms. Dr. Rhee also breaks down the biggest misconception in regenerative medicine and explains why the future isn't stem cells transforming into tissue — it's signaling.

In this episode:

• How the military took Dr. Rhee from rebellious kid to doctor
• Why he grew up under a surgeon father without ever taking a pill
• The two types of elite athletes — and which one has the longer career
• Why habits in your 20s and 30s are cumulative, not optional
• Chronic inflammation: the silent enemy of longevity
• The food sensitivity test almost everyone overlooks
• Ages 40–60: your last best window to build muscle before sarcopenia sets in
• The stem cell myth — and why cellular signaling (EVs and exosomes) is the real story
• How to clear the pathway so your body's healing signals get through
• The plant-based signaling product Dr. Rhee has coming soon

🌐 Learn more about Dr. Tommy Rhee: https://rheegn.com
📖 Get the book: The End of Exercise: and the Beginning of Activation — available on Amazon

Follow Michelle & The Game Changer Podcast:
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🌐 michelledutro.com

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, therapist, or other qualified health professional. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your health or wellness routine.

🤝 Let’s Connect: linktr.ee/michelledutro 
🌐 Learn more: www.michelledutro.com 
🏞️ Retreat Center: www.innernorthstar.com

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Frequency healing technology is helping bees survive a global population collapse — and it could do the same for your body.

In this episode of The Game Changer Podcast, Michelle Dutro sits down with Brent Knudsen and Jake Cunningham, the co-founding duo behind 4RBees — a global mission merging quantum frequency technology with one of the most urgent environmental causes of our time: saving the bees. Brent walks through his unlikely path from selling one of Canada's largest payment processing platforms to Goldman Sachs, to discovering sacred geometry, to building the technology behind the PureWave Cell. 

Jake, who Michelle worked alongside more than 25 years ago at the start of her own biofeedback career, brings over 35 years of wellness and energy medicine experience to the conversation. Together they break down why bees are the "canary in the coal mine" for human health, how frequency-based technology is helping beekeepers cut bee loss dramatically, and why building up immune resilience — in bees, plants, and people — may matter more than chasing a cure. This is a conversation about purpose, mission, and the idea that the small things we can control are worth controlling, even when so much around us isn't.

In this episode:

• Brent's path from financial executive to sacred geometry researcher
• How frequency-based technology may support cellular health in bees, plants, and humans
• What the PureWave Cell is and how it's designed to work
• Why declining bee populations are a warning sign for human health
• The difference between treating with chemistry vs. supporting the body with physics and frequency
• 4RBees' mission to support beekeepers worldwide at no cost
• Recent third-party research on the PureWave Cell's effect on hives
• Finding purpose through environmental mission work

🌐 Website: https://4rbees.com     Use code INNERNORTHSTAR for 20%

Follow 4RBees here:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/4RBees

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/4rbees/

X:
https://x.com/4Rbees

TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@4rbeesmission

💸 Discount Code: Use code INNERNORTHSTAR for 20% off at michelledutro.com (under Resources) and at: https://4rbees.com/

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▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michelledutro
🔗 Everything else: https://linktr.ee/michelledutro

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, therapist, or other qualified health professional. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your health or wellness routine.

🤝 Let's Connect: linktr.ee/michelledutro
 🌐 Learn more: www.michelledutro.com

🤝 Let’s Connect: linktr.ee/michelledutro 
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🏞️ Retreat Center: www.innernorthstar.com

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What if true freedom isn't the end of the fight, but the beginning of it?

Damien Echols spent 18 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit — one of the West Memphis Three, his case became a symbol of wrongful conviction worldwide. But his story doesn't end at his release in 2011. Alongside his wife, Lorri Davis, who led the relentless fight for his freedom, Damien has spent the years since learning that walking out of prison was only the beginning of the real work: rebuilding a life, a mind, and a marriage in the aftermath of unimaginable trauma.

In this episode of The Game Changer Podcast, Damien and Lorri join Michelle Dutro to get honest about what healing actually looks like once the cell door opens — how Damien turned his prison cell into a monastery, found meaning in suffering through art and meditation, and why PTSD recovery is a daily practice rather than a destination. Together they explore how their relationship became a shared mission, and why love, not just survival, was what carried them through.

In this episode:

• Damien's 18 years on death row and the wrongful conviction that changed his life
• How he turned his cell into a monastery through art, meditation, and ritual
• What PTSD recovery and nervous system regulation actually look like after extreme trauma
• Why healing from trauma is an ongoing daily practice, not a finish line
• How Lorri's fight for Damien's freedom became a shared life mission
• The role of love and partnership in post-traumatic growth
• What support systems actually help — and which ones quietly don't
• Why what you consume mentally shapes whether you heal or stay stuck

To learn more about Damien Echols, order his books, go to an event, or get notified when his new book comes out in September:

🌐 Website: https://damienechols.com
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@damienechols8091
🐦 X: https://x.com/damienechols

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This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, therapist, or other qualified health professional. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your health or wellness routine.

🤝 Let's Connect: linktr.ee/michelledutro
 🌐 Learn more: www.michelledutro.com
🏞️ Retreat Center: www.innernorthstar.com

🤝 Let’s Connect: linktr.ee/michelledutro 
🌐 Learn more: www.michelledutro.com 
🏞️ Retreat Center: www.innernorthstar.com

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What if the most powerful healing tool available to you requires nothing more than your own breath?

Jon Paul Crimi is one of the most sought-after breathwork coaches in the world — working with celebrities, Fortune 500 companies, and Tony Robbins events — and his story begins not in a wellness studio, but in the depths of addiction and trauma. What brought him out was breathwork. And he has spent the last two decades helping others experience the same transformation.

In this episode of The Game Changer Podcast, Jon Paul joins Michelle Dutro to break down the science behind conscious breathing, why circular breathwork can feel like 20 years of therapy in a single session, and how anyone — regardless of background, beliefs, or experience level — can use breath to heal, perform, and live more fully.

In this episode:

• Jon Paul's journey from addiction and trauma to becoming a world-class breathwork facilitator
• The science of breathwork and how conscious breathing impacts the brain, nervous system, and emotional health
• The difference between circular breathwork and techniques like Wim Hof or box breathing
• How breathwork accelerates healing in recovery, trauma release, and mental clarity
• Why breathwork is now being used in high-performance environments including Hollywood and corporate settings
• How to choose quality breathwork training and what makes a safe and effective teacher
• Quick breath practices for stress, emotional triggers, and social media conflicts
• Why every breathwork session is unique and how layers of healing unfold over time

🌐 Website: https://breathewithjp.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonpaulcrimi 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/breathewithjp 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-paul-crimi-967b80208 🐦 X: https://x.com/jonpaulcrimi 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jonpaulcrimi

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▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michelledutro 

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This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, therapist, or other qualified health professional. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your health or wellness routine.

🤝 Let’s Connect: linktr.ee/michelledutro 
🌐 Learn more: www.michelledutro.com 
🏞️ Retreat Center: www.innernorthstar.com

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What if the secret to unstoppable resiliency wasn't found in the latest bio-hack or wellness trend — but in a 6-domain framework developed by a retired Air Force Colonel and performance scientist? 

Dr. Mickra Hamilton is a retired Air Force Colonel, performance scientist, and author of The Coherence Effect. She joins Michelle Dutro on The Game Changer Podcast to break down her 6-domain system for optimal health and human performance — a framework she developed not just for elite soldiers, but for anyone ready to stop treating symptoms and start experiencing genuine wholeness.

If you've ever felt like you're optimizing one area of your health while the rest falls apart — your sleep is great but your relationships are suffering, your nutrition is dialed in but your mental health is struggling — this conversation was made for you.

In this episode:

• The 6 domains of healing: physical, psychological, social, environmental, spiritual, and energetic
• How breathwork impacts stress, PTSD, and nervous system regulation
• The coherence effect and what it means to be truly whole
• The role of nature, sacred medicine, and psychedelics in self-awareness and healing
• How to transition from surviving to thriving — in any season of life
• Why presence and awareness may be the most underrated performance tools available

To Learn More About Dr. Hamilton's Work:

🌐 Website: https://www.drmickrahamilton.com 

🏛️ Aperion Center: https://apeironzoh.com 

📖 The Coherence Effect: https://www.drmickrahamilton.com/the-book 

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickra-hamilton-a772684a/

Follow Michelle & The Game Changer Podcast: 

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▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michelledutro 🔗 Everything else: https://linktr.ee/michelledutro

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, therapist, or other qualified health professional. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your health or wellness routine.

🤝 Let’s Connect: linktr.ee/michelledutro 
🌐 Learn more: www.michelledutro.com 
🏞️ Retreat Center: www.innernorthstar.com

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What if the very science promising to extend your life is quietly stealing the one thing that makes it worth living? Documentary filmmaker David Donnelly joins Michelle Dutro to pull back the curtain on the longevity revolution — and the loneliness crisis hiding inside it.

Donnelly's upcoming documentary Forever Young, out this summer, takes an unflinching look at what happens when we optimize for lifespan while neglecting the human connections that actually make life meaningful. In this conversation, he shares what years of filming inside the world of longevity science taught him about purpose, community, AI, and what it really means to age well.

In this episode:

• Why health span and lifespan are not the same thing — and why that gap is costing us
• What the science of aging reveals about purpose and community as longevity tools
• How AI is accelerating the loneliness epidemic inside the very industry promising longer life
• What conscious longevity actually looks like when human connection is part of the equation

🎬 Watch the Forever Young Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT2V-USKm6g 

🌐 Website: https://www.foreveryoung.film/ 

📩 Substack: https://foreveryoungfilm.substack.com/ 

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreveryoungdoc 

🐦 X: https://x.com/theagingdoc 

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Forever-Young-Film/61572955294447/ 

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ForeverYoung-Film

To Stay Current with Michelle Dutro:

 ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michelledutro 

🔗 Everything else: https://linktr.ee/michelledutro

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, therapist, or other qualified health professional. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your health or wellness routine.

🤝 Let’s Connect: linktr.ee/michelledutro 
🌐 Learn more: www.michelledutro.com 
🏞️ Retreat Center: www.innernorthstar.com