Ever wondered what it takes to break into the voice acting biz? Or how Stephanie and Lin Manuel Miranda made her role as Mirabel in Encanto come alive in the recording booth? All the funny voices Mel and Steph did during their downtime on the set of Brooklyn 99? Well, thanks to a special voice note from More Better listener Archie this week, our talented hosts are sharing all that there is to know about voice acting. Let’s go!

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It’s Election week in America! This week, we revisit our chat with Elsa Collins (@elsamariecollins), professional do-er, humanitarian and founder of Poderistas and This is About Humanity. Steph, Mel and Elsa discuss the election, voting and civic duty in this very special remixed episode with never-before-heard audio. If you’re a fan of More Better, head over to https://www.vote.org/ and make a voting plan today — and send Steph and Mel photos of your I Voted sticker on IG @MoreBetterPodcast. See you at the polls.

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What should I wear? Does this look stupid? Do people still think about that dumb thing I said at that one party like 10 years ago? Does my dog think I’m weird? What is the worst possible case scenario and how do I prepare? Is everybody in this grocery store staring at me? Did I turn off my hair straightener? WOAH WOAH WOAH. Let’s check in real quick. We’ve been reading your e-mails and listening to your voice notes. This week’s episode comes from a listener request! Overthinking. It happens to the best of us — Stephanie and Melissa included. Listen along this week as they share their specific flavors of anxiety and how they each work to get out of their heads when it strikes.

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Do you ever feel paralyzed when it comes to showing up for causes? Does online activism feel like it’s just not enough? Wondering if your vote even matters? Too busy lit-er-a-lly just trying to survive but feeling guilty about not doing enough for your community? Well, first of all, breathe, You are not alone. Today, Stephanie and Melissa welcome Elsa Collins (@elsamariecollins), professional do-er, humanitarian and founder of Poderistas and This is About Humanity to ask her all the questions they've ever had about showing up. 

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Buenas, More Better fam! Who’s coming over for family dinner? Gather ‘round the table as we discuss cultura and familia this week. Stephanie and Melissa open up about their Colombian, Bolivian and Cuban cultures — from the food, to the language, holidays, traditions, values and more — and how they’re doing their best to pass those foundations on to the next generation. So settle in and make yourself at home, you’re a part of the More Better Familia now.

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What does self-care mean to you? Scheduling a massage? Taking a lunchtime nap? Zoning out on your iPad at your hair appointment? This week, Stephanie and Melissa swap stories and feeeeeelings about self-care. Why is it so hard to do? Why do people shame you when you do make time for it? And how do we shed that guilt and just get the damn massage?

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Everyone can and should embrace their inner creative. Whether you’re a professional artist or you’re just trying to decorate your home, we all benefit from imagination and play sometimes. But sometimes it’s hardddddd. So what’s the solution? Meditating? Journaling? Taking a damn break? This week Stephanie and Melissa discuss how they developed their creative identities and share personal tips and tricks for getting that creativity faucet flowing.

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What is orange wine? Do you know what body means? How about legs? When you’re an adult, people usually expect you to know about things like crown molding, 401ks, osteoporosis and … wine. Today, Stephanie and Melissa welcome Lucia Palm (@lucialoveswine), certified sommelier and wine content creator and educator to ask her all the questions they've ever had about wine but have been too embarrassed to ask.

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The dreaded work party. It’s a party! There’s an open bar! But it’s also…work. How do you let loose and mingle freely when your boss is staring at you from behind the shrimp cocktail tower? This week Stephanie and Melissa discuss their Brooklyn 99 parties past and their struggles with striking the perfect professional balance at these events. Some takeaways: 1) No amount of free alcohol is worth getting fired. 2) Make a game plan before you go 3) Sometimes the answer is to simply sequester yourself in a corner with your friends

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This week we’re talking about S-E-X. What does owning *your* sexuality mean to you? Reading fairy smut? Wearing some really hot hot shorts and feeling good hot to go? Exploring BDSM? Sex in public? Or are you a little bit prude? All things go and all things welcome this week as Stephanie and Melissa have THE sex talk.

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It’s time for those summer vacations! This week, Stephanie and Melissa discuss their most memorable childhood family vacations — cruises, kids clubs, time-share presentations and all. Steph shares about her upcoming Italian adventure, and things get vulnerable when our hosts open up about their struggles to take time off and unplug. Should you answer those work e-mails when you're clocked out? Spoiler alert: Take the damn vacation (if you can). It’s good for your health.

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Figuring out who you are is tough enough — learning how to infuse that identity into your personal style is a whole different ~journey~. This week Stephanie and Melissa are joined by their shared stylist Ariel Tunnell to discuss their respective style journeys, swap shopping and dressing room tips and discuss Steph and Mel’s thoughts on the return of Y2K style. Can you guess who’s more of a “jeans and t-shirt” kinda girlie and who’s the Trend Queen?

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 Do you ever find yourself digggggging down deep into your deepest depths trying to scrounge up just a smidge of motivation? Well, you’re not alone. Today Stephanie and Melissa quote Hoobastank and Guns N' Roses as they respond to a question from More Better listener Baylie and share their struggles and successes when it comes to getting sh*t done. So, join us and let us know — what’s your motivation? Cue the Normani.

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Making friends is harrrrrrrd! Stephanie and Melissa open up about just how difficult it can be to put yourself out there, especially the older you get. Stories about nightmare roommates and mom groups are swapped, cackles abound, and “How to Make Friends” tips from a bonafide friendship coach are put to the test during Nerd Time.

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Stephanie and Melissa face their guilty pleasures head-on and try to get better at releasing shame. Reality TV, chisme and “just f*cking resting” can trigger feelings of shame or guilt. How can they overcome it? And who said there had to be guilt in their pleasures in the first place? 

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The work of listening to yourself never ends …enter More Better; Stephanie Beatriz and Melissa Fumero introduce the podcast by discussing their identities and how they have stayed true to themselves and their friendship. On this inaugural episode with these off-screen besties, we go on a journey through Stephanie and Melissa’s own experiences with listening to themselves and that internal “tug” when you know something is right. Cups of coffee count: 1

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It’s October! Time to put on your finest costume and embrace all of the spooky things under a full moon. Are you a fight, flight, freeze or FLOP type of person? Are you a haunted house enthusiast? What’s your favorite scary movie? On today’s episode Stephanie and Melissa discuss their relationships with fear, Halloween and communing with the ancestors on Día de Los Muertos.

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If you’ve ever lived, chances are you’ve loved someone or something. If you’ve ever loved, chances are you’ve had your heart broken to pieces. More Better listener Vivien wrote in to the pod this week asking for advice with just that — heartbreak. In response, Stephanie and Melissa share stories about their first and biggest heartbreaks, their advice on how to move through breakups, and the scientific reason why breaking up actually physically hurts.

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The leaves are changing, school’s back in session and there’s a cool breeze rolling in. Here at More Better, that means we’re in our cozy era. Enter, hygge. A defining characteristic of Danish culture, hygge is all things cozy and comfortable. This week, Stephanie and Melissa share what hygge means to them and how they intentionally create cozy spaces in their homes. So put on your cozies, grab a warm cup of cocoa by candlelight, and snuggle into hygge season with us.

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Are you afraid to say no? Do you find yourself agreeing with others just to keep the peace? Do you need validation? Well, you might just be a people pleaser. This week Stephanie and Melissa discuss their own people please-y-ness and try to navigate the world of boundaries and confidence. Turns out, “No” is a complete sentence.

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The listener questions are back! This week, Stephanie and Melissa field a very special question from twin sister listeners Lisa and Kristen who are planning a very special birthday — their 40th! Milestone birthdays can be overwhelming. There can be pressure to throw the perfect party, keep up with the Joneses and make the absolute most of every single second we have on this planet and not fall behind. But there’s no need to stress — Steph and Mel are here to talk us through it all. They share stories about their own milestone birthdays good and bad, and explain why celebrating another year of survival matters. Just be kind to yourself, it’ll be okay. 

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Gossip. We love it, we’re ashamed of it, we simply must know it all. Today Stephanie and Melissa each spill some of the hottest tea they’ve ever come by, explore the intricacies and dangers of talking sh*t and consider a scientific study that theorizes — is gossip actually good?

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Listen, we all do our very best to treat others with kindness, have empathy and resolve interpersonal issues in a caring and respectful manner. But…sometimes…as Stephanie so eloquently puts it — “people are shit”. This week, Stephanie and Melissa dive deep into the subject of enemies. Be they bullies, jerks, frenemies or even an arch nemesis — we learn how to spot them, navigate difficult interactions and ultimately, how to protect your peace.

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A hobby is, according to Steph, “stuff you do on your own GD time” that, according to studies, leads to a happier and healthier life. No pressure! This week, Stephanie and Melissa discuss their hobbies — or lack-there-of — and dig deep into what sparks joy for each of them. Looking for a hobby? Why not pick up baking? Competitive dog grooming? How about stamp collecting? Let’s start with Listening to More Better.

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What makes something funny? How does one be funny? Are Beavis and Butthead back? Here to help answer these existential questions and more is the one and only comedy legend Chelsea Peretti. This week on More Better, Chelsea, Steph and Melissa reminisce about their days on set together on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, share stories about the stupid things that make them laugh and open up about the vulnerability that it takes to get up on that stage sometimes. Nine Nine!

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 Happy Valentine’s Day, More Better fam! Cupid’s on his way. …Or not. If you hate this holiday, we get it. Melissa really gets it. This week, Steph and Mel talk all things ROMANCE. They spill about cringy poetry, emotional breakthroughs over honeymoon pizza, romantic takeout eaten on the floor and the simplicity of making your partner a cup of coffee in the morning. Because when it’s the right person — it’s just about seeing one another. All together now: Awwwwwwwww! One thing’s for sure. We absolutely positively love YOU, dear listeners. Will you be our Valentines?

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Did you know that Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first TV job as an anchor in Baltimore? Big mistake. Huge. This week, we talk about failure, sucking and imposter syndrome. More Better listener Zander asks: “How do I get more better at being okay with being bad at things?” The answer? Well, it’s complicated. Stephanie and Melissa share about their experiences with moving through failure, the bumpy road to success, the importance of bombing and how an ikebana flower arranging class taught Steph to let go.

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The Protestant Work Ethic? I don’t know her. What even is work-life balance? Stephanie and Melissa discuss the modern concept’s ancient philosophical roots, its undeniable feminist ties and the influence that Samantha the American Girl doll had on their generation’s understanding of labor rights. Listener Amanda shares her struggles and concerns about “having it all” and Aristotle gets flamed. Moral of the story? You can have it all. Just mayyyyybe not at the same time. Do you agree?

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• What to do when a musty dusty co-worker patronizes you in the workplace? Ever frozen up at a rude comment launched your way in the breakroom? This week, More Better listener Stacey writes in to ask the ladies if they’ve ever dealt with a workplace bully. Stephanie and Melissa realize their extensive experience fending off shady opps, and share their personal tips and tricks for dealing with them in a professional manner. Does the answer lie in studying “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” as if it were the ancient scrolls of “The Art of War” itself? Perhaps.

*Resources and directories for anyone looking to help, find support, or donate to LA Fire Relief: https://www.theconsciouscitizens.org/los-angeles-disaster-support-masterlist/

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Stephanie and Melissa haven’t seen each other in person since they recorded the verrrry first episode of More Better last year. Ya know — work, life — things happened.Thus, they have totally perfected the art of The Long Distance Friendship. This week, Aussie pod listener Lauren sends us a voice memo asking for advice on how to maintain her friendship with her LDB (long distance bestie) in Germany. Have a listen, see if you can relate and let us know what you think of Steph’s Australian accent. We think it’s coming along bloody nicely, mate.

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Happy 2025! Steph and Melissa survived the lost week between Christmas and New Years or what they are calling the Bermuda Triangle of Weeks and this week on the pod, they are talking about New Year’s Resolutions. Do resolutions haunt you every year? You are not alone! Stephanie and Melissa have found some ways to make resolutions feel less icky; consider reframing! Don’t set yourself up for failure! Manifest (we can be a lil woo-woo for 2025)! Have markers! Steph and Mel also predict some Ins and Outs of 2025, so stay tuned for the trend forecasting – sneak peak, podcasts might be OUT (according to SOME lists) but this one is IN.

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You know it. You love hate it. You’re maybe scrolling on it right now. It’s social media. This week, Steph and Melissa discuss the pros and cons of “the sosh” and dive deep into the psychology of posting. Plus, we answer the perpetual question — Does Stephanie have TikTok on her phone today?

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The Holidays are on the horizon and Stephanie and Melissa are READY…kind of. Decor? They have a plan for that. Food? We have some restaurants on speed dial. Best Christmas movies? Well, this one’s slightly a point of contention. Though they do agree on *that* leg lamp being cool. This week on More Better, we’re talking about how to prepare for holidays in a way that protects the magic of the season and, equally as important, your *peace*.

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Would you go into business with your friend? Is calling someone your “work wife” cringe? How do you make friends at work? What’s it like to have your actual spouse as your boss? Would you befriend the guy rocking a dangling George Michael crucifix earring and a beret? Today we’re talking all about what it’s like to work with your friends with the one and only Jo Lo Truglio. Mel, Steph and Joe reminisce about the good old Brooklyn Nine-Nine days and the magic that comes from working with your buds. Spoiler alert: The guy with the earring? That was Joe circa 1988.

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Are you ready for your closeup? After a couple of weeks of having some of their favorite former co-stars on the pod (Nine-Nine!), Stephanie and Melissa are feeling real thespian. This week, they’re talking about Acting. From their theater school roots to their thoughts on method acting, strap in because we’re getting realllllllll nerdy. And the Oscar for best podcast listener in the world goes to… you!

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