Courageous Me

Hi, I’m Kim Payne. Welcome to the Courageous Me podcast—your go-to for incredible stories and practical tips to add more courage to your life.Imagine what’s possible if courage wasn’t reserved for heroic moments but became part of your everyday life.Whether you're dreaming big, going through a rough patch, or are ready to reignite the fire in your belly, this podcast is for you.Because courage is life’s secret source—it turns the ordinary into magic. And it all starts with you.

Courageous Me is a education podcast hosted by Kim Payne, with 174 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Kim Payne hosts Courageous Me, a education show with 174 episodes published.

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  Episode #176

  176. You know what needs to change, so why haven't you? With Jo Woods

  Sep 30, 202656 minS1

  Have you ever wished someone in your life would change, only to be disappointed when they don't? Or held on to a relationship, a version of yourself, or something from your past, even when you know it's time to move on? In this episode, I sit down with psychotherapist, relationship coach, and entrepreneur Jo Woods for a conversation that takes us into some personal territory. We cover difficult family relationships and hidden insecurities, changing friendships, breaking old habits, and finding the courage to start something completely new in your 50s. Jo shares the moment she finally stood up for herself and what she discovered in the years that followed, including a fascinating perspective on the expectations we place on the people closest to us and what happens when those expectations aren't met. We explore why we can appear confident and capable on the outside while feeling completely different on the inside, what happens to our relationships as we grow and make different choices, and why knowing what we need to change and changing it are two very different things. And at 58, Jo is putting much of what she's learned into practice. Having just launched a new product business, Claridi, she shares what she's discovering about herself as she navigates the challenges, uncertainty, and vulnerability that come with putting something new into the world. It's a conversation about the courage it takes to change and the choices we make about what comes next. Key Takeaways o What changes when you stop expecting the people closest to you to change? o How the person everyone sees can be very different from the person you feel you are inside. o How to make different choices when the people around you expect you to stay the same. o How a confident, outgoing woman can end up battling anxiety, panic attacks, and agoraphobia. o What happens to your friendships when you start making different choices and growing in different directions. o Why knowing what needs to change doesn't necessarily mean you'll change it. o Why living in the past can keep you stuck, even when those experiences happened years ago. o What happens when you back yourself and start something new in your 50s? Find out more about Jo Woods or Claridi Botanical Inhaler: Website: Jo Woods Website: Claridi Instagram: @claridi_aus Facebook: Claridi LinkedIn: Jo Woods Tiktok: Claridi SOMEDAY to TODAY – event A one-day transformational experience for women who are done waiting for 'someday'. Friday 9 October 2026 Find out more and grab your spot 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

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  Episode #175

  175. What would you do if you knew you could fail? With Kim Payne

  Sep 23, 202630 minS1

  What would you do if you knew you could fail? If you knew there was a chance it might not work, you might not be brilliant at it, or things might turn out completely differently than you hoped, would you still want to do it? In this episode, I explore how that one question has changed my relationship with failure, risk, and courage, particularly after spending much of my life as a high-achieving perfectionist who would sometimes rather not try at all than risk not being good enough. I share some of the experiences that have challenged that thinking, including the freedom that comes from doing your best rather than being the best, writing my book, and now creating my first full-day event, Someday to Today . I also cover what perfectionism may really be protecting us from, why self-doubt and imposter syndrome show up, and what changes when we stop needing all the ducks lined up before we move. For me, the bigger question isn't whether something might fail. It's whether the cost of never finding out has become greater than the risk of giving it a go. Key takeaways: o The one question that can completely change how you think about failure. o Why the cost of never trying can eventually become greater than the risk of getting it wrong. o What perfectionism may really be protecting you from. o The surprising freedom in discovering that your best doesn’t have to be the best. o How you can reframe imposter syndrome as something to move towards, not away from. o How taking action can build the self-trust you can't create by waiting until you feel ready. o What changes when you ask yourself: Would I regret failing… or never finding out? 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 spot 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

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  Episode #174

  174. How midlife and being “too much” created The Hormonal Queen with Danni Novytarger

  Sep 16, 202642 minS1

  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.

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  Episode #173

  173. What if the thing that makes you different is your greatest strength? With Helen Pollard

  Sep 9, 20261 hourS1

  What if the parts of yourself you’ve spent years trying to hide are the very things that make you who you are? In this episode, I chat with Helen Pollard, creative director of the ARTea Group, about what happens when we stop hiding those parts of ourselves and start seeing them as superpowers. Growing up with dyslexia, navigating a turbulent home life, and financial hardship, Helen learned early what it felt like to be considered “different” and to mask the things she found difficult. We explore how experiences like these can shape the way we think, adapt, and find another way when the obvious path doesn’t work. But we also go behind what success looks like from the outside. Helen shares openly about financial pressure, businesses that don’t always go to plan, and what happens when you’ve become so good at pushing forward that you haven’t stopped to deal with where you are now. We talk about the courage it takes to be more honest about who you are, the freedom that can come when you stop trying to appear as though you have it all together, and one of the hardest questions for any high-achieving woman: when do you keep pushing for something you believe in, and when is the courageous decision to let it go? And as Helen looks towards an even bigger dream inspired by her own son’s neurodiversity, we explore what becomes possible when the things that make you different become part of the impact you’re here to make. Key takeaways: o How something you’ve spent years hiding can become one of your greatest strengths. o What survival mode can teach you about resourcefulness and finding another way. o Why success can look very different from what’s really happening behind the scenes. o What becomes possible when you stop hiding the messy parts of who you are. o Why courage isn’t always about pushing through…sometimes it’s knowing when to let go. o How the things that make you different can be the work you’re uniquely equipped to do. o Why there may never be a perfect time to begin the thing you keep thinking about. Follow along or find about more about Helen: Websites: ARTea Art School Roxys Venue Melbourne Event Florals Party Corp Instagram Pages: @helenpollard_ @roxysparty @melbourneeventflorals @artea.art.school Facebook Pages: Melbourne Event Florals Roxys Unique Functions & Events ARTea Art School LinkedIn: Helen Pollard SOMEDAY to TODAY – event A one-day transformational experience for women who are done waiting for 'someday'. Friday 9 October 2026 Find out more and grab your spot 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

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  Episode #172

  172. What if you don’t need to know how things will work out? With Venessa Astbury

  Sep 2, 202653 minS1

  What if the choice that feels safest is actually the one keeping you stuck? In this episode, I speak with Venessa Astbury, Success Mindset Coach and former corporate sales professional, about what happens when you know something in your life needs to change… but you have no idea what’s waiting on the other side. From moving from South Africa to Australia with a four-month-old baby, to leaving her marriage and, most recently, walking away from the security of her corporate career to build her own business, Venessa has repeatedly found herself at the edge of the unknown. We talk about why living in limbo can sometimes feel safer than moving forward, the patterns that can tell us when something is no longer right, and what it takes to trust yourself when there are no guarantees. We also dig into the patterns that can tell us when something in our lives is no longer working, including Venessa's fascinating discovery about the connection between fulfillment, performance, and eating, and why changing the job, relationship, or circumstances doesn't necessarily change the pattern underneath it. Venessa also shares what she’s discovering about identity, intuition and doing things your own way…and why fun might be a far more powerful strategy than we give it credit for. Because sometimes courage isn’t knowing exactly where you’re going. It’s trusting yourself enough to take the next step anyway. Key takeaways: o Why the safest choice isn’t always the one that moves you forward. o Why living in limbo can feel safer than choosing what you already know you want. o The surprising patterns that can reveal when something in your life is no longer right for you. o Why following the experts isn't always the same as trusting what works for you. o How the person you're becoming can help you make decisions before you feel like her yet. o What changes when fun, intuition and self-trust become part of how you work and live. o What it really takes to back yourself when there’s no guarantee you’ll succeed. Get in touch with Venessa: Website: Venessa Astbury Instagram: @venessa_astbury_ Facebook: Venessa Astbury LinkedIn: Venessa Astbury Your Vibe is your Strategy Training Rise the F*ck Up! Podcast SOMEDAY to TODAY – event A one-day transformational experience for women who are done waiting for 'someday'. Friday 9 October 2026 Find out more and grab your spot 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

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