How Hard Can It Be? with Diana Maria Riva
Diana Maria Riva hosts the weekly podcast for GenX women navigating midlife’s most fantastic bullsh*t. Through laughs, tears, or tears and laughter, Diana invites her squads from Ohio to Hollywood for some real talk on being the boss, the empty nester and the caretaker, all while battling night sweats AND being the linchpins of society. From the FUPA to the hot flash, it's time for women to have unpolished, unfiltered conversations about the midlife roller coaster. With all the changes, surprises and WTFs, join Diana and celebrity guests, experts, and allies as they tackle everything in the second act of life, love, sex and society, as we ask… How hard can it be?
Episodes
Host Diana Maria Riva is joined by her millennial babes Francia Raisa (Grown-ish, How I Met Your Father) and Jessica Marie Garcia (Liv and Maddie, On My Block) to swap notes on what midlife really looks like. They talk openly about midlife facts and fiction (night sweats, perimenopause, sex drive), the challenges of finding the right OB-GYN before you need one, and the power of embracing a new chapter in life. Francia, Jessica and ...
Host Diana Maria Riva sits down with relationship coach and bestselling author Sabrina Bendory to talk about finding love, recognizing the difference between chaos and chemistry, and the discovering of our true selves in the process. They get into the different types of toxic behavior (love bombing, mirroring, bread crumbing), how movies, TV shows AND dating apps have skewed our views on what healthy relationsh...
Actress Ashley Jones (The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital, Beyond the Gates) joins host Diana Maria Riva to talk about recognizing anxiety as a legit symptom of perimenopause, her uninvited notification from the AARP, and how forgiveness and even friendship is possible after divorce. Ashley and Diana also quiz a couple of 30-something’s on what is considered TMI on a first date, ageism in daytime TV, and how day-trad...
Actress Elisa Donovan (Clueless,Night at the Roxbury, Sabrina the Teenage Witch) stops by the show and discusses the blow felt when everything you’ve built your identity on disappears at once, the difference between choosing a partner versus a project, and raising a teen with your own father’s voice. Diana and Elisa also discuss the importance of evolving friendships, mastering the art of “I don’t have the b...
Award-winning journalist and 90 Day Fiancé host Shaun Robinson joins the show to talk about the moment she stopped hiding her age and the freedom and relief that came with embracing it. Shaun and Diana also discuss the dangers of AI-perfect influencers, what a body type is even supposed to mean, and why she thinks the universal appeal of 90 Day Fiancé is really about how far people will go to be loved. They also get into how Shaun&...
Grab your drink of choice because it’s time for another Happy Hour episode of How Hard Can it Be? This week, Diana and her bestie Tina recap the conversation with legendary media exec Bonnie Hammer and their main takeaways: stop obsessing over running out of time, take the opportunities in front of you, and think of your career as a spider web. They also talk about empty nests, reframing a midlife crisis, and the major event ...
Legendary media executive Bonnie Hammer sits down with host Diana Maria Riva to talk about how she went from pooper-scooping after a Hollywood stunt dog to becoming Vice Chairman of NBCUniversal and the “Queen of Cable”. As Diana dives into Bonnie's best seller 15 Lies Women Are Told at Work: And the Truths We Need to Succeed, they discuss how chasing a childhood dream can keep you stuck and why the career ladder is mor...
Actor/Director Roselyn Sanchez (Without a Trace, Rush Hour 2, Devious Maids) joins the show to talk about what midlife can look like when you refuse to slow down and why she considers her 40’s & 50’s her greatest hits. Becoming a mom later in life, Roselyn shares how parenthood forced her to finally confront past family trauma. the beauty and challenges of raising a mini-me, and what longevity truly means. All this ...
Pop and R&B icon Taylor Dayne joins the show and opens up about why turning 50 was the most brutal birthday of her life, her colon cancer diagnosis, and losing “the love of her life”. Taylor also shares her experience of becoming a single mom of twins via surrogacy and the reality of dating apps. And stay for a rapid-fie round where Taylor answers midlife’s hardest questions using her own song titles.
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It’s time for a new Happy Hour episode of How Hard Can it Be? and this week, Diana and her bestie Tina recap the recent conversation with Sunny Hostin. They get into Sunny’s ruined Mother’s Day trip to Mexico, whether they’re an architect or a raccoon on crack when it comes to loading the dishwasher and why “pivoting” has become the word of this season of life.
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The View’s Sunny Hostin joins host Diana Maria Riva to discuss how she’s been dealing with midlife’s most fantastic BS. Sunny talks about how her husband’s “surprise” ruined her Mother’s Day celebration and how it’s all part of the secret to a long-lasting marriage, a parent’s involvement in their kids’ romantic lives, and the power of choosing instead of being chosen. All...
Host Diana Maria Riva is joined by OB/GYN Dr. Suzanne Gilberg as they dive head first into a deep discussion on menopause and the vast information and science now available to women. From the more obvious symptoms such as brain fog, mood swings, and low sex drive, to the less obvious like heart disease, type 2 diabetes , and other silent effects of inflammation. Covering topics such as the shocking statistics of dementia and Alzhei...
Author Carmen Rita Wong joins the show to unpack the family secret that rewrote her identity at 30. Carmen shares the wild story that led to her book “Why Didn’t You Tell Me” (including a Star Wars-style confession), what she thinks about forgiveness vs. understanding, and gives us a masterclass in refusing to carry someone else’s baggage.
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Actress Justina Machado joins host Diana Maria Riva to talk about their hilarious case of mistaken identity, the harsh reality of dating apps, the FUPA revelation and why society’s expiration date on women is total BS. Justina also shares why turning 50 hit hard and yet achieved one of her biggest dreams after the fact, all while mastering the art of giving less f**ks.
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Diana and Tina recap the recent episode with Judy Reyes. They dig into the themes that resonated with them, including learning to be alone, the struggle to just be still and the lost art of dancing.
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Host Diana Maria Riva is joined by therapist and author Israa Nasir to talk about toxic productivity, the dangers that come with it and how to recognize those warning signs. They will dive deep into exploring why being “busy” can mask itself as self-care and perfectionism, and how our self-worth can get tangled up in our desired achievements.
Get Israa's book here.
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Actress Judy Reyes (Scrubs, High Potential, Claws) joins the show to talk about her midlife moment of choosing motherhood in her 40’s, bringing Nurse Carla's menopause storyline to the Scrubs revival and the power of finally trusting your own voice. Judy also opens up about forgiveness, facing the intimidation of big dreams, and ultimately, fulfilling them.
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Host Diana Maria Riva sits down with Scottish actress, playwright and writer Lynn Ferguson for a conversation that swings from radical acceptance to the surprisingly powerful practice of writing just 50 words a day.
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In this Happy Hour episode of How Hard Can it Be?, host Diana Maria Riva and her bestie Tina look back at the recent conversation with music icon Lisa Lisa. They reflect on Lisa's story of caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s, drawing parallels to Tina’s own experience caring for her mom. They also discuss motherhood, redefining retirement, and the surprising self-care ritual Tina shares with Lisa Lisa: folding laundr...
Host Diana Maria Riva sits down with 80’s icon Lisa Lisa for a moving conversation spanning her secret battle with breast cancer, growing up the youngest of 10 in Hell’s Kitchen, and caring for her mother through Alzheimer’s disease. Lisa openly shares with Diana her big Broadway dream, the zen art of folding clothes, and compares “mom notes’ on the challenge of detaching from their children.
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