In this episode of The Becoming Years, Alina and Margaret Gardiner, former Beauty Queen, Journalist, & Author, talk about her debut novel Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar and the deeper themes behind it: self-worth, people-pleasing, and the cost of performance.

Margaret shares how her background in psychology and her early experiences in beauty and fashion shaped the story. Together, they explore how women are often trained to self-blame, stay likable, and put others first at their own expense.

Margaret explains why her protagonist, Joey, is intentionally unlikable at first — because real healing often begins in uncomfortable, imperfect places. They also discuss how books can open difficult conversations between mothers and daughters and how compassion can coexist with strong boundaries.

The episode closes on a hopeful note: you are not your image, you are not your mistakes, and it is always possible to change. Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar, is the kind of story that stays with you — honest, messy, powerful, and so worth reading.

Timeline

• 0:01 — Introduction to Margaret Gardiner and her background
• 1:13 — Margaret explains the inner voice and the book’s core message
• 2:09 — Fiction vs. autobiography and why the story is partly personal
• 8:12 — The hidden cost behind glamour and public images
• 12:14 — Teaching younger generations what to do in hard situations
• 13:57 — Why the book can spark mother-daughter conversations
• 17:18 — Self-blame and people-pleasing in women
• 20:28 — Breaking repeated patterns and creating new outcomes
• 22:53 — Performative behavior and living for others’ expectations
• 31:37 — Navigating obligation, self-sacrifice, and self-worth
• 33:40 — Using tools to protect your emotional safety
• 43:04 — Margaret shares a story about online bullying and responding with compassion
• 52:09 — Shame, harmful habits, and the danger of self-destruction
• 55:05 — The power of stepping back before falling too far
• 58:34 — Final message: women don’t have to be perfect to change

Win a signed copy of Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar - Here’s how to enter:

1. Follow on Instagram:

@margaret_gardiner and @thebecomingyearspodcast

1. Tag a friend in the comments
2. Every friend you tag = one extra entry
3. Winner will be chosen randomly on 8/17/26

More about Margaret:
https://www.margaretgardiner.com/
Order the book: https://a.co/d/02m6s3zg
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/MargaretGardinerUniverse
FB: https://www.facebook.com/MargaretGardinerOfficial
IG: https://www.instagram.com/margaret_gardiner/