Half Betty
Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen
Recent Episodes
Andrea and Krista welcome Karryn Ransom on this episode of Half Betty. Karryn was a cast member of Degrassi Jr. High and speaks about her time on the series and how it shaped her future as a teacher. The conversation delves into the challenges and rewards of parenting, professional journeys, and the transition to 'empty nesters.' They emphasize the importance of modeling a full life for their children, exploring new passions, and accepting the different changes that come with midlife, including menopause. Karryn shares her dynamic teaching journey, methods to engage students, and the joy of returning to art and theater. They discuss the idea of bridging generational gaps through shared stories and mentorship, aiming to create spaces for intergenerational dialogue and learning. The conversation ultimately underscores the value of loving oneself, fostering authentic relationships, and finding joy and purpose in every stage of life.
Bio
Educator, artist and actor, Karryn helps people find their voice. She is an educator specializing in high school French, a watercolour artist, and performs in local theatre productions. In the 1980s, she spent five years in a TV role in the original Degrassi High series. That early experience showed her that giving voice to ordinary experiences through storytelling can be transformative. This, along with her experiences as a parent, artist, and professional leader, continues to shape her teaching practice, where she creates space for others to express themselves with confidence. And now, in midlife, she's standing firmly in her own story with clarity and purpose.
Karryn’s Five Words - Passionate, Compassionate, Focused, Creative, Determined
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We love Voes & Co because they are the perfect mix of style, comfort, and sustainability. Designed to effortlessly complement any outfit - from casual to chic - they’re as versatile as they are timeless. Made with next-generation vegan materials, their footwear is soft, breathable, and built to last - without any cruelty. We want you to step out in style and comfort so that’s why we’ve partnered with Voes & Co to bring our subscribers 50% off any pair of shoes!
Please use this link to purchase https://voesandcompany.com/discount/BettyLovesVoes
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Founder/Host/Producer: Andrea Rathborne
Producer/Co-Host: Krista Gruen
Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen
Audio Engineer: Ryan Clarke
Episode sponsors: Voes and Company
Andrea Rathborne and Krista Gruen join in conversation with Jocelyn Pepe, whose extraordinary journey - from moving through divorce and single motherhood to surviving a life-altering brain injury and ultimately becoming a global keynote speaker and bestselling author - reveals the power of grit, healing, and claiming your own mind. As a dedicated mother of three children, author of her first book, Claim Your Brain, and committed mental health advocate, Jocelyn emphasizes the importance of mental health awareness, community support, and shifting the narrative from “me” to “we”.
Our conversation explores Jocelyn’s pivotal life moments, her ongoing balance between personal growth and professional purpose, and the central role that both intuition and connection have played along the way. She also sheds light on the increasing mental health crisis shaped by modern pressures and emphasizes the urgent need for accessible resources and collective well-being.
Bio
Jocelyn Pepe is the author of Claim Your Brain, a book that brings science and soul together to help us understand our mental health in a way that feels genuinely human. She’s also the founder of TrU, where she combines research, real-life experience, and meaningful coaching to help leaders and teams grow stronger, perform at their best, and live with more intention.
Jocelyn has a master’s in the psychology and neuroscience of mental health, along with multiple coaching designations - but what truly sets her apart is how she uses all of it with intuition and heart. She’s reshaping how we think about mental health, not just at work but in everyday life, making it more accessible, compassionate, and relatable.
Instagram TrU Living
Instagram personal
Instagram Book Claim Your Brain
Website TrU Living
Jocelyn’s Five Words - Mother, Visionary, Humanitarian, Deep, intuitive, Nurturing,
References
Book Claim Your Brain
Sponsor Information
We love Voes & Co because they are the perfect mix of style, comfort, and sustainability. Designed to effortlessly complement any outfit - from casual to chic - they’re as versatile as they are timeless. Made with next-generation vegan materials, their footwear is soft, breathable, and built to last - without any cruelty. We want you to step out in style and comfort so that’s why we’ve partnered with Voes & Co to bring our subscribers 50% off any pair of shoes!
Please use this link to purchase https://voesandcompany.com/discount/BettyLovesVoes
Connect with us
Website link here
Instagram link here
LinkedIn link here
Facebook link here
Leave a voicemail for us
https://www.halfbetty.com/voicemail/
Founder/Host: Andrea Rathborne
Creative Producer/Co-Host: Krista Gruen
Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen
Audio Engineer: Ryan Clarke
Episode sponsors: Voes and Company
In this episode of the Half Betty Podcast, Founder and Host Andrea Rathborne and Producer/ Co-host Krista Gruen connect across time zones - from Vancouver to Bali - with Desiree Dupuis, founder and vision-keeper of Voes & Co, a vegan fashion and design brand rooted in sustainability and soul.
Desiree opens up about the wild, beautiful path of entrepreneurship - from leaving Vancouver to building a life and business in Bali, and what it means to find belonging far from home. She shares her honest reflections on growth, partnership, and the power of knowing when to invite others in. Through her story, we explore what happens when we stop believing we have to do it all alone and begin to trust collaboration, community, and intuition as the most essential parts of success.
Enjoy this candid conversation about redefining strength, leading with heart, and staying grounded, in business, in life, and in the stories we tell ourselves along the way.
Bio
With over two decades of experience in brand development, storytelling, and purpose-driven marketing, Desirée Dupuis is a force for conscious change. As a social entrepreneur, author, and speaker, she is redefining industries through sustainability, ethics, and innovation.
Desirée is the founder of Voes & Co, an iconic global vegan footwear brand on a mission to revolutionize fashion with next-generation materials - proving that style, comfort, and sustainability can coexist without compromise. Beyond business, Desirée is deeply committed to global impact and education. As Chair of Ruben’s Shoes Society, an international NGO she co-founded, she helps provide high-quality education to over 600 students in the Dominican Republic, breaking the cycle of poverty through learning.
A passionate vegan advocate since 2008, Desirée is on a mission to challenge the status quo, amplify conscious consumerism, and inspire others to create lasting change. She's the author of "Consciously Chic: A Playbook for Ethical Fashion" and is proud to share and discuss her thoughts about the future of fashion beyond animals and plastic. Desirée’s insights, experience, and unwavering commitment to impact make her a guest you don’t want to miss.
Instagram Voes and Co
Desiree’s Five Words - ambitious, kindhearted, fun, intuitive, and curious, intentional, loyal
Sponsor Information
We love Voes & Co because they are the perfect mix of style, comfort, and sustainability. Designed to effortlessly complement any outfit—from casual to chic—they’re as versatile as they are timeless. Made with next-generation vegan materials, their footwear is soft, breathable, and built to last—without any cruelty. We want you to step out in style and comfort so that’s why we’ve partnered with Voes & Co to bring our subscribers 50% off any pair of shoes!
Please use this link to purchase https://voesandcompany.com/discount/BettyLovesVoes
Connect with us
Website link here
Instagram link here
LinkedIn link here
Facebook link here
Leave a voicemail for us
https://www.halfbetty.com/voicemail/
Founder/Host: Andrea Rathborne
Creative Producer/Co-Host: Krista Gruen
Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen
Audio Engineer: Ryan Clarke
Episode sponsors: Voes and Company
In this episode of Half Betty, Andrea Rathborne and Krista Gruen strike up a conversation with filmmakers Kate Green and Amber Orchard as they share the story behind their upcoming feature documentary Menopause: Coming In Hot! The film is set to have its World Premiere at the Whistler Film Festival this December, 2025. Directed by and starring Kate Green, the film captures her real-time journey through perimenopause with honesty, humour, and heart.
Coinciding with World Menopause Day (October 18), Kate and Amber open up about the making of this empowering, insightful, and deeply relatable film that amplifies women’s voices and sheds light on the menopause experience.
The trailer for Menopause: Coming In Hot drops October 18th 2025 on World Menopause Day!
Director: Kate Green
Producer: Kate Green, Amber Orchard, Jessica Young and Olivia Fellows
Writers: Tami Gabay, Jessica Young and Olivia Fellows
Story Consultant: Kate Green
Cinematographer: Kate Smith
Editor: Erin Cumming Assistant Editor: Chloe Bottrell
Menopause: Coming In Hot!
When a strong-willed perimenopausal documentary filmmaker is told there isn’t a lot of help available for her multiple symptoms, she goes on a mission to find out more about menopause, and finds herself on a quest that makes her relearn everything she thought she knew about aging.
Bio
Kate Green is an award-winning director and producer known for her cinematic storytelling and ability to connect deeply with audiences. A creative leader committed to telling vibrant, authentic stories by and for women, Kate brings a strong visual and emotional sensibility to every project.
Her feature documentary Menopause: Coming in Hot (TELUS Originals) will premiere at the Whistler Film Festival. She is also releasing her WWII short drama Breakthrough (starring William B. Davis) in 2026.
Kate created and directed the sci-fi series NarcoLeap (TELUS OptikTV, CBC GEM, Highball TV), which earned multiple Canadian Screen Award nominations, Writers Guild of Canada, and Leo Award nods, and international festival wins, including “Best Sci-Fi” at Miami Web Fest, Baltimore Next Media Web Fest, and Asia Web Awards. With over 300K views and 2.4M in social media reach, NarcoLeap Season 2 continued its success, winning Best Digital Series at the Blood in the Snow Festival.
Her earlier documentaries Not a Stranger and Melting Stars received multiple festival awards, while her short film Murphy’s Law (CBC, CBC GEM) won Best Horror Thriller at the Wild Bunch Film Festival.
Kate has directed and produced factual and lifestyle programs for major networks, including Oxygen, HGTV, W Network, CBC, History, Discovery, Fuel TV, and Channel 4. Most recently, Kate contributed to the Challenge Department on Fear Factor: The Next Chapter alongside Johnny Knoxville.
She is an alumna of Vancouver Island University, University of British Columbia, Women in the Director’s Chair, the National Screen Institute, and the Reykjavík International Film Festival Talent Lab.
Amber Orchard began her producing career at the age of nine on the school playground and has been driven by a passion for entertainment and storytelling ever since. For over 30 years, she has produced events across the non-profit, corporate, and private sectors, building a reputation for thoughtful, high-impact experiences. She also previously served as the Association Manager for Screen BC, supporting advocacy and industry-wide initiatives for British Columbia’s film and television community.
In 2020, Amber shifted her focus to screen production, joining Kate Green Productions as Production Manager on Murphy’s Law (CBC), Co-Producing NarcoLeap Season 2, and, most recently, the documentary Menopause: Coming in Hot. Her screen credits have since grown to include Bush Wreck Rescue (Discovery), Pamela’s Garden of Eden (HGTV), Million Dollar Secret (Netflix), and Extracted (Fox), along with several acclaimed short films.
Most recently, Amber joined Industrial Light & Magic as Studio Operations Manager, bringing her production and operations experience to one of the world’s most iconic studios.
Film Menopause: Coming In Hot
KGP Films Kate Green
Website: Kate Green Productions
Amber Amber Orchard
For PR regarding the film please reach out to Callista Ryan at Coldwater Communications
Five words
Kate - confident, fun, loyal
Amber - Resourceful, Fun, Loyal, Caring, Dependable, Positive, Organized
References
Janet Ko & Trish Barbato - Founders of The Menopause Foundation of Canada
Article in Playback Magazine (Canadian trade publication covering the country's production, broadcasting and interactive media industries) announcing their world premiere.
Sponsor Information
We love Voes & Co because they are the perfect mix of style, comfort, and sustainability. Designed to effortlessly complement any outfit—from casual to chic—they’re as ve...
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 selected to partake in TIFF’s 2024 Inside Out Finance Forum, where it was pitched to major executives at Netflix, NEON and A24, to name a few.
Moonie is also the co-creator & lead actor in the award-winning episodic web series, Moonie, the Black, Queer version of “Seinfeld, “ which has been selected and screened in over fifteen national and international film festivals. Moonie was also nominated for a 2023 Queerties award for Best Web Series.
Jess Desvarieux is a former Time Magazine award-winning journalist and now a screenwriter and director based in Washington, DC. She is the co-creator, head writer, and director of the comedy web series MOONIE. The series was nominated for a Queerties Award for Best Web Series and screened in fourteen national and international film festivals.
She co-wrote the screenplay, Butch Baby Mama, with her sister and creative partner, Moonie Desvarieux. This movie was a finalist in Stage 32’s Best Comedic Screenplay competition, and they were selected to participate at TIFF's ‘Inside Out’ Finance Forum where they pitched to major executives at Netflix, Neon and A24, to name a few.
The dynamic duo also have their own podcast called A Good Laugh - a podcast centred on how humour isn’t just an escape but a path to healing and resistance.
Website
Phases of Moonie
Moonie The Webseries
A Good Laugh
YouTube
Five words
Moonie - powerful, loving and connected leader, entertainer, empath, and visionary
Jess - brave, resilient, authentic, and compassionate
References
Fav Quotes
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"It truly is a great paradox that death is the greatest teacher about life. No person or situation could ever teach you as much as death has to teach you. While someone could tell you, you are not your body. Death shows you. Though someone can remind you of the insignificance of the things that you cling to, death takes them away in a second. While people can teach you that we are all equal between the races and there is no difference between the rich and the poor, death instantly makes us all the same. The question is, are you going to wait until that last minute to let death be your teacher?" - Michael Singer
Sponsor Information
We love Voes & Co because they are the perfect mix of style, comfort, and sustainability. Designed to effortlessly complement any outfit—from casual to chic—they’re as versatile as they are timeless. Made with next-generation vegan materials, their footwear is soft, breathable, and built to last—without any cruelty. We want you to step out in style and comfort so that’s why we’ve partnered with Voes & Co to bring our subscribers 50% off any pair of shoes!
Please use this link to purchase https://voesandcompany.com/discount/BettyLovesVoes
Forget the cheap plastic cases — Loba is designed with high-end finishes and customizable LED lights that glow when it’s time to take your pills. It connects to WiFi through the Loba App, where you can set daily reminders and let visual cues do the work for you. Inside are 7 daily pill pods, making it easy to stay on track without the mental load. If you take vitamins or supplements, Loba is the upgrade your wellness routine deserves. We partnered with LOBA to offer our subscribers 10% off!
Please use this link to purchase https://shoploba.com/HALFBETTY
Connect with us
Website link here
Instagram link here
LinkedIn link here
Facebook link here
Leave a voicemail for us
https://www.halfbetty.com/voicemail/
Founder/Host/Producer: Andrea Rathborne
Producer/Co-Host: Krista Gruen
Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen
Audio Engineer: <...