{"podcast":{"title":"Half Betty","slug":"half-betty-7116758","podcast_index_feed_id":7116758,"rss_url":"https://feeds.transistor.fm/half-betty","website_url":"http://halfbetty.com","image_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/Q5yIERMOPGwmhe68GVSpZQprYbbxuaVBb9sXY3oo5Vg/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82YTVj/YmRhMGRjOTFkMzk2/MDQxMGFlMDBiNmM1/M2Q2ZC5wbmc.jpg","author":"Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen","episode_count":33,"summary":"Podcast founder Andrea Rathborne and the iconic Betty White share the same birth date - January 17th. In 2022, as Betty would have celebrated her 100th birthday, Andrea turned 50—Half Betty’s age. This milestone sparked a powerful reflection: Betty White achieved more between 50 and 100 than in her first 50 years, suggesting that midlife is not an end but a bold, new beginning. Inspired by Betty’s legacy, Andrea saw turning 50 as the gateway to a second, even greater life chapter - one full of possibility, reimagination, and purpose. This vision gave rise to Half Betty, a bold and vibrant community where midlife women come together to feel supported, inspired, informed, and deeply valued. It’s a space where the stories of their next chapter take shape and the extraordinary potential of their second scene unfolds.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-21T06:22:17.256145+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/half-betty-7116758"},"episode":{"title":"The Desvarieux Sisters: Jessie's Girls","slug":"the-desvarieux-sisters-jessie-s-girls","published_at":"2025-10-02T07:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/half-betty-7116758/the-desvarieux-sisters-jessie-s-girls","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/half-betty-7116758","url":"https://share.transistor.fm/s/9408247b","audio_url":"https://media.transistor.fm/9408247b/8d1f4310.mp3","summary":"In this episode of the Half Betty Podcast, Founder, Host, and Producer Andrea Rathborne and Producer and Co-Host Krista Gruen sit down with sisters Jess and Moonie Desvarieux. Once navigating careers in journalism and law, Jess and Moonie have pivoted to include comedy, screenwriting, and directing, letting their authentic voices shine. They discuss their award-winning web series Moonie , their feature script Butch Baby Mama , and their vision to honour their late mother, Jessie, by supporting education and healthcare projects in Haiti. The sisters share their journey through grief, revealing how humour became both survival and healing. Their work is sharp, funny, and unflinchingly honest, yet rooted in purpose: carrying forward their mother’s legacy and creating opportunities for children and families to thrive. They explore ambition that defies convention, the courage to stay true to oneself, and the power of stories to inspire and rebuild communities. Amid laughter and heartfelt moments, Jess and Moonie remind listeners that joy and justice often go hand in hand, inspiring us to show up fully, authentically, and with purpose. Bios Moonie Desvarieux is a Haitian-American lawyer turned stand-up comedian, TV & Film writer, and actor. As a comedian, she has opened for D.L. Hughley & Bob the Drag Queen. She has also made it to the finals of Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson’s National Comedy Competition and has performed several times in the New York Comedy Festival, The New York Queer Comedy Festival & The Black Women in Comedy Laff Festival. Moonie co-wrote the comedic screenplay, Butch Baby Mama, with her sister/creative partner, Jess Desvarieux. This movie was a finalist in Stage 32’s Best Comedic Screenplay competition. Butch Baby Mama was also select…","meta_description":"In this episode of the Half Betty Podcast, Founder, Host, and Producer Andrea Rathborne and Producer and Co-Host Krista Gruen sit down with sisters Jess a…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4196,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/half-betty-7116758/episodes/the-desvarieux-sisters-jessie-s-girls/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/half-betty-7116758/the-desvarieux-sisters-jessie-s-girls.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}