What if the parts of yourself you’ve spent years being told to tone down are exactly the parts you’re meant to turn up? At 53, Danni Novytarger, aka The Hormonal Queen, is finding that out. Behind the outrageous humour, straight-faced reels, and unapologetic personality is a story of courage that most people following Danni would never know. In this episode, Danni opens up about IVF, losing her mum, the breakdown of long-term friendships, debilitating perimenopause symptoms, and an unexpected health challenge. She shares how, during one of the darkest periods of her life, teaching Pilates, telling stories, and making other women laugh helped her find her way back to herself. Danni also reflects on being told she was too loud, too outrageous, and even embarrassing, and that she needed to tone herself down. Yet those very parts of her personality have become the reason so many people connect with her, particularly women in midlife who see themselves in the experiences she shares so hilariously. She is still blown away that being unapologetically herself has led to live comedy shows and an Instagram community of 200K+ followers and growing. We explore how laughter helped Danni find her way back to herself, what happened when she stopped containing the parts of her personality others considered “too much,” and how the feeling she’d carried for years that there was something more for her is now making sense. Because sometimes the thing you’ve been searching for isn’t something new you need to become. It might be something that’s been part of you all along. Key takeaways: o What can happen when you stop toning yourself down for other people. o How telling stories in Pilates classes led Danni to be crowned The Hormonal Queen. o Why laughing at the realities of perimenopause can help women feel a whole lot more normal. o How humour became an unexpected way through dark times. o What to do with that persistent feeling that there’s something more for you. o Why some of the people closest to you may fall away when you start following what lights you up. o How the parts of yourself you once thought were “too much” might hold a clue to what comes next. o What becomes possible when, at any age, you finally give yourself permission to fully be you. Find out more and follow The Hormonal Queen: Instagram: @hormonal_queen Facebook: Danni HormonalQueen Come see Danni perform for the VIP’s 👑 SOMEDAY to TODAY – event A one-day transformational experience for women who are done waiting for 'someday'. Friday 9 October 2026, Sth Melbourne Find out more and grab your ticket here. COURAGEOUS ME – THE BOOK Grab your copy of Courageous Me – The courage to turn someday into today. Where to find me: Website: Kim Payne LinkedIn: Kim Payne Instagram: @iamkimpayne Facebook: KimPayneBiz More about Danni aka The Hormonal Queen At 53, Danni is a Pilates instructor, mother of two, wife to a chiropractor, and devoted servant to a cat named Pickles. After years of teaching more than 25 Pilates classes a week, life threw her a season of grief that forced her to rethink everything. She turned to social media as an outlet, sharing the raw, hilarious and often unfiltered reality of midlife, menopause and everything in between. What began as therapy quickly became a movement. Today, millions of women know her as The Hormonal Queen, the outspoken voice who says exactly what women are thinking but are often too afraid to say out loud. With humour, honesty and heart, Danni is changing the conversation around midlife, proving that getting older doesn't mean getting quieter. It means finally giving yourself permission to speak up. 👑
