The Chisme Corner with Vee Rivera

Episode: Evolving Style, Evolving Women: Girl Talk with Marissa Roche
Date: February 4, 2026
Host: Vee Rivera
Guest: Marissa Roche (aka Mari)

Episode Theme & Overview

This episode is a heartfelt, funny, and unfiltered conversation between Vee Rivera and her close friend, fashion influencer Marissa Roche. The two dive into "girl talk" about their evolving personal styles, balancing motherhood and careers, and the unique challenges and camaraderie of being women—especially Latinas—in the influencer and corporate spaces. Expect stories about past career pivots, fashion inspirations, cultural heritage, and staying authentic while navigating social media and personal growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How Their Friendship Began (00:57 – 04:00)

• Meeting Story: Vee and Marissa recount their first IRL meeting at a chaotic beach photo shoot and joke about their instant, filter-free connection.
• Social Media Bond: Their friendship sparked after Vee reposted Mari’s viral video—bonding instantly over Instagram DMs and voice notes.
• Quote:
  Vee (02:07): “It was so random and weird, but it was like it was meant to happen.”
• On Female Friendship: Both cherish finding genuinely supportive, non-competitive girlfriends in the influencer world.
• Quote:
  Vee (03:19): “I feel like now the people that I’m starting to gravitate towards… they have that same demeanor.”

2. Navigating the Influencer & Corporate Worlds (05:03 – 14:20)

• Marissa's Career Journey:
  • Started as a teacher’s assistant—found it draining, especially as a mother.
  • Bartending school and (comedic) failed attempts at being a bottle girl.
  • Dabbled in background acting in shows like The Blacklist and Orange is the New Black.
  • Eventually moved into banking in NYC, where her corporate ‘baddie’ style flourished.
• Notable Moment:
  Mari’s description of pushing a babyless stroller on set (12:27):
  Marissa: “I was just strolling a carriage. And it was Chase’s carriage … There’s nothing in there. It was so embarrassing.”
• Insight: Career pivots (sometimes out of necessity), and the complexities for young women, especially as mothers, seeking balance and fulfillment.

3. Latinx Culture, Language, and Novelas (15:47 – 20:42)

• Reflecting on Heritage: Both share stories about not learning Spanish fluently as kids and the generational nuances of language in immigrant families.
• **Vee’s Stepdad taught her Spanish with newspapers (17:35), highlighting how “the Spanish you learn in school or Duolingo isn’t how Puerto Ricans actually talk.”
• Pop Culture Bonding:
  From Friends vs That 70s Show loyalties to classic Spanish-language telenovelas.
  Vee (16:23): “They used to be smacking the shit out of each other in the novellas. And I was like, I need to watch this.”

4. Fashion Roots & Influences (20:43 – 34:17)

• Mother as Fashion Role Model:
  Mari’s mom was a style icon of the ’80s/’90s—shoulder pads, bold lipstick, boots.
  Marissa (23:13): “She used to always have shoulder pads and accessories… now I think I’m understanding what she was going through.”
• Evolving Personal Style:
  • Both discuss how motherhood, moving out of the city, COVID, and day-to-day life shifted their style priorities to comfort and simplicity.
  • But their love for dressing up (“tropical girly” – Vee) remains at heart.
  • Thrifting for nostalgia and the cyclical nature of trends.
• Fashion Creativity:
  • Layering, accessorizing, and the joy in breaking traditional “fashion rules.”
  • Quote:
    Vee (30:43): “Fashion has no rules … once I started learning that, I was like, oh, this is like—I love this.”

5. The Realities of Influencing & Entrepreneurship (34:17 – 51:10)

• How Mari Started Influencing:
  • Early Instagram: Story-focused content, always dressed up for her bank job, fashion polls, connecting with her audience.
  • Viral moments: “Smoking and making coffee videos” helped her page pop.
• Challenges:
  • The “admin” side—forms, contracts, negotiations—was overwhelming.
  • Pressure to sell (“I never want to make the wrong move and just look like a fake”—42:15).
  • Creatively draining and not always as glamorous as it seems.
  • Balancing authenticity with evolving audience expectations.
• Quote:
  Marissa (47:33): "I want to post what I love and do what I love, but I also need to make money from what I’m doing. So I have to post what my audience wants."
• Multiple Income Streams: Necessity for financial stability—especially as a single/busy mom.

6. Recent Work Experiences & Workplace Microaggressions (51:10 – 61:54)

• Mari’s Return to Work:
  Chose a creative, marketing-oriented job near her home, hoping to blend her passion for branding and stability. But the environment was toxic, with subtle racism/microaggressions and classic sexism.
  • Quote:
    Marissa (56:34): "It was just unprofessional… what’s your intent behind it?"
  • The job pushed her toward being the "face" on lives instead of the managerial/creative role she was hired for.
  • Emotional distress and processing her departure as a necessary boundary.
• Women in the Workplace:
  Both reflect on how women, and especially women of color, are undervalued for their talent and potential, often reduced to their appearance.

7. Generational Strength, Motherhood & Self-Care (62:02 – 67:55)

• Anecdotes from Childhood:
  Family drama, protective (and sometimes misunderstood) moms, and outgrowing the need for “beef.”
• Generational Change:
  Their mothers worked hard, rarely took a day off; now they're learning to claim self-care and balance.
  • Quote:
    Vee (67:49): "Now [my mom] has that self…she's like, you know what? I owe myself the self-care. But back then…it was just nonstop. Like, I don’t care if you’re sick."

8. Dreaming About the Future & Embracing Softness (68:01 – 70:24)

• Soft Life Aspirations:
  Both fantasize about traveling, bus life, seeing the world, and living with more balance.
  • Quote:
    Marissa (68:23): “Can you imagine just like traveling…waking up and having like a beautiful mountain sunrise, with some coffee and some weed—girl, that hits.”
• Importance of Spontaneity & Structure:
  Both value having routine but need spontaneity and adventure to feel alive.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “It smells like ho in here.”
  — Marissa joking about their first-ever meetup (01:56)

• “When a baddie wants to be a baddie… I’m putting on the heels because that shit feels good.”
  — Marissa (36:39), on dressing up at work

• “I want to post what I love and do what I love, but I also, like, need to make money from what I’m doing… sometimes what my audience wants isn’t always what I want to sit and record.”
  — Vee (47:33)

• “Fashion has no rules.”
  — Vee (30:43)

• “I just want to craft. I just been doing my little crafts. I just want to read my books in peace. Like, I don’t know if you like me still…”
  — Vee (66:00), on leaving drama behind

• “You gotta have confidence within yourself. Because I know that if I get my shit together… my products will sell. Now it’s just about get the fuck up and do it…”
  — Marissa (46:16), on entrepreneurship motivation

Segment Timestamps

• 00:57 – 04:00: How Vee & Marissa met, friendship dynamics, influencer space friendships
• 05:03 – 14:20: Marissa’s career journey (teaching, bartending, acting, corporate/banking)
• 15:47 – 20:42: Cultural heritage, language, and telenovela nostalgia
• 20:43 – 34:17: Fashion influences from their moms, their evolving styles, and motherhood impact
• 34:17 – 51:10: Building a brand & Instagram, influencer realities, staying authentic
• 51:10 – 61:54: Toxic workplace experiences, microaggressions, processing setbacks
• 62:02 – 67:55: Generational strength, mother-daughter dynamics, claiming space for self-care
• 68:01 – 70:24: Dreaming about the future, "soft life," and finding life balance

Recap & Takeaways

• Both women exemplify evolving as both professionals and mothers—unafraid to switch lanes and set boundaries in pursuit of authenticity and happiness.
• Style is cyclical, deeply personal, and can be a form of self-care and cultural pride.
• The influencer economy is complex and emotionally taxing, requiring authenticity and resilience.
• Candid discussions on culture, identity, and navigating gendered spaces highlight how community and shared experience foster resilience.
• The episode’s humor and realness offer encouragement for listeners navigating their own paths—whatever career or life stage they’re in.

Look out for a potential Part Two, as the amigas have plenty more to chismear about—fashion, family, and everything unfiltered in between.

Find Marissa (Mari):
Links to her Instagram and brand in the episode description!