Meet Galina Espinoza, the first editor-in-chief of Flow Space
I’m the first editor-in-chief of Flow Space, a new digital media brand from SHE Media, focused on women’s health in their post-reproductive years. It’s outrageous that in the year 2024 there’s still so little we understand about our bodies and how they work. Why do women get Alzheimer’s at such a higher rate than men do? What are preventative measures that can protect us against ovarian and cervical cancer? Why do we go into menopause at all? These are some of the big, important questions science has yet to answer, and it’s one of the reasons why data shows women spend 25% more of their lives in poor health than men do. I’m incredibly proud and excited to be part of the growing movement to shift the narrative around the health of women – throughout their entire lives! — so that our care needs can be better researched and addressed.
I am in the Midst of
Running Flow Space at the same time I’m building it. Leading what is, in some ways, a start-up operation — I launched our newsletter and an event series before I hired my first team member! – isn’t for the faint of heart. But I love being a role model for what women in their 50s are capable of, especially when corporate America (and even pop culture) is still too eager to write us off. I feel like my years of experience have all laddered up to this, and it’s awesome to have a leadership role that not only inspires me every day but hopefully inspires other women to believe that you can maintain a thriving, fulfilling, impactful career well into midlife.
Working on my physical strength. I’ve always exercised to stay fit, but I’m part of the generation that had hot pink handweights marketed to them and worried about “getting too bulky.” But with all the emerging research about how important strength training is for women as we age if we want to have a long health span and life span, I’ve added consistent strength training into the mix, and am trying to progress to lifting heavier.
Making a bucket list for my senior dog. Nine months after my partner, Brian, and I moved in together, we brought home our first dog, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Guinness. That was 14 years ago, and now our Guinness is in what our vet thinks are his final few months. It’s impossible for Brian and me to imagine life without this dog; Guinness is part of every memory we’ve shared during the entire course of our relationship, and losing him will be one of the great heartbreaks of my life. But our focus right now is on making sure Guinness has his best summer ever, which means fitting in all his favorite experiences, like getting ice cream from the Mr. Softee truck, going swimming at the Jersey shore, and visiting all the local store owners who give him treats!
The best thing about my current age (54)
The sense of contentment I have about where I am in my life. When I entered adulthood, rather than having really granular goals like, “Visit all seven continents by the age of 30!” I focused on broader dreams, like wanting to have a journalism career, travel the world, and find a partner I could grow old with. I didn’t know it then, but that was the best approach I could have taken; it made every step forward feel like a success and empowered me to focus on exploring interesting experiences instead of crossing off a checklist of accomplishments. I trusted my gut, embraced adventure, and didn’t let fear stop me from stepping into spaces that, on paper, definitely didn’t make sense. But it has all led to me feeling like, “Yeah, I did some stuff – even some good, special stuff,” while also having a cherished group of people in my life who love me and accept me for who I am.
The best thing I’ve done for myself in midlife so far
Allowing myself to continue setting goals and having dreams. After years (decades?) telling people I wanted to write a novel, I applied to two writing residencies for 2024 and got accepted into both. That validation was the big push I needed, and it felt like the universe was telling me to go for it. I also ran my first marathon — another thing I’d been saying for decades I wanted to do — right before I turned 50, which my 20something-self wouldn’t have believed. It’s just so important to stay curious about the world and open to new experiences.
My Grown-Ass Lady (GAL) heroes
The women in my family who came before me and whose courage stuns me every time I think about it. On my maternal side, my Russian grandmother survived World War II in occupied Paris, then married an American GI who left her with three young kids to raise as a single mother in New York City, where she had zero support system and barely spoke the language.
Then there’s my paternal grandmother, my abuelita, who was married in Ecuador at 15 and became a mother three years later. She’d go on to raise six kids while working long hours as a seamstress in Manhattan’s Garment District. While she may not have had more than an eighth-grade education, she could do anything with needle and thread; well into my early adulthood, she made every special-occasion dress I wore, including for my college formals.
When they were still alive, they never let on how hard they had it; it’s only now that I wonder how, with all the obstacles they faced, they kept their wonderfully warm, loving spirits intact. It’s because of their unconditional belief in me and utter lack of judgment — even as I made choices that must have seemed so strange to them! — that I have been able to take advantage of all the opportunities they never had. I’m so grateful to them for letting me stand on their shoulders.
My midlife must-haves
I’ve been so fortunate throughout my life to have access to top doctors, and because I know this is a privilege not everyone has, let me pass on some of the “musts” I’ve learned from them.
When I first started seeing a certified menopause specialist, Dr. Laura Carinci, she gave me two bits of advice that I have adhered to faithfully ever since. The first is to take a magnesium supplement before going to bed to help with sleep; it really works for me. The second was to start doing pilates, and she was so right! Your body just shifts as you get older, and Pilates helps me to keep everything (mostly) in place, lol. I use an app from an amazing instructor, Amanda Blauer, and I work out at home.
My sister-in-law, Dr. Lisa Espinoza, runs one of the top medical spas in the country, La Chele, and I literally don’t do anything to my skin without her say-so. Her holy grail product recommendation – which I have gifted to many a friend on her 50th birthday! – is Skin Medica’s TSN Advanced+ Serum. It’s expensive, but if I had to pick only one skin care product to bring to a desert island, it would be this.
On my first day at Flow Space, I had the good luck of interviewing Lisa Mosconi, one of the top neuroscientists in the world, about her book, The Menopause Brain. We filmed the interview in her home, where she put out an array of brain-healthy snacks, including Medjool dates, which are packed with potassium and B vitamins, not to mention fiber. I’m obsessed!
What’s next
I want to turn Flow Space into a widely recognized brand name associated with expert, authoritative women’s health coverage. That means growing on all our platforms, building an engaged audience, and being in all the rooms where these conversations are happening. I have a vision for how impactful this brand can be, and will be doing everything I can to realize that!
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