Be Your Own Bestie: A No-Nonsense Guide to Changing the Way You Treat Yourself

by Misha Brown

Hey, Bestie! Start loving yourself radically with the 4-step SASS Method that literally anyone can do—from social media star Misha Brown.

You deserve happiness.
You deserve hope.
And you deserve a sassy best friend who can help you learn not to settle for less.

It’s time to start loving yourself radically. And Misha Brown—you may know him as @yourbestiemisha—is here to guide you along your journey of self-discovery, accountability, and most importantly, self-love. With his no-nonsense (but always loving) approach, Misha shares stories from his own life, encounters with others, and the wisdom gleaned from them to help you release the patterns, relationships, and beliefs that have kept you from stepping into your full fabulousness.

With equal parts hilarity and heart, Misha’s S.A.S.S. Method to glowing up your life consists

S – Turn your focus inward to push away what’s been holding you back
A – Reshape the way you speak to and about yourself
S – Standing your Set boundaries and stop apologizing
S – Sculpting the life you Take bold steps toward your own happily ever after

No matter where you are today, now is the time to begin showing up for yourself as your own best friend. Because you deserve it, bestie!

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Audiobook, Mental Health, Humor, Memoir, Psychology

227 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 17, 2026

Reviews

[Ali Thomson]

🎧 the audiobook was great and full of Misha’s typical sass and flamboyant, encouraging energy. I enjoyed the stories he shared and the way he encouraged readers to actually do the work of healing, growing, and becoming their own best friend

[Emily]

I already loved following all his stories on Instagram so this was just a fun and really uplifting compliment to them.

[Erica]

I LOVE Misha Brown, and want to be his bestie IRL, and this book felt like a chat with your bestie and is such a great uplifting read. If you love his TikToks or IG videos, please check it out!

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can*]

Libby app, Overdrive was better
----

[Becky]

If you know Misha, or if you know OF Misha, you know what you're getting in this. It's literally his two main social media "themes" (@Dontcrossagayman and @Yourbestiemisha), combined and repackaged into book form, with a smidgen of memoir tossed in.

I don't have social media anymore, but for a while I did, and I enjoyed his content whenever it would cross my feed. It's positive, it's snarky, it's pro-underdog, it's funny, it's a middle-finger to the patriarchy. I'm here for it.

I know that there's a whole "thing" about whether he's lying/making it up/whatever... but I don't know or particularly care if it's all real or not. He's telling stories on the internet as a content creator. And now he's writing it in a book. If he makes some of it up and it speaks to and inspires someone to stand up for themselves or someone else in need, I call that a good thing.

And that's this book in a nutshell. This book is all about standing up for yourself - even if it's standing up for yourself TO yourself. It's a good reminder that we're all just human people doing our best in this world, and to give ourselves a little grace when we need it, or set and stick to a boundary when we need that.

I recommend it. I listened to this in just about 4 hours, and it was a delight. Plus, according to the end of the audiobook, apparently my making it all the way through makes me an honorary sassy gay man! Just what I've always wanted! :D

If that's what you've also always wanted, all you have to do is listen to the audiobook. LOL

[Patty (IheartYA311)]

Misha is truly all the good things.

Stellar book that I will probably re-read when I need to get in touch with my inner bestie. I'm now on the hunt for a signed copy to add to my collection.

Side note: The world needs more bad*ss girls like Bean!

[Brianna]

3.5 stars but chose to round down, mainly because this book is in the 'self-help' category and if I'm judging it in comparison to the 'Let Them Theory' it falls significantly farther behind...although it is still my second favorite self-help book I've ever read. It's good because it's filled with tons of great stories, hilarious taunts, and you can tell how much writing this meant to Misha. I would say this book is only half self-help and half a memoir.
The audiobook is fun and is voiced by Misha himself. There was a lack of insightful learning and left me wanting more tips/tricks/etc. The biggest take away was Misha's thoughts on 'being the bigger person and playing nice'. He entirely squashes that idea and doesn't think it's fair or right to have to suck it up and 'take the high road'. Instead he encourages people to meet others like that head on, even giving tips of certain phrases to try and use. I appreciated that a lot, especially as a woman, since society expects us to shrug off the acts of men around us.

Was it a fun and quick audiobook? Definitely yes. Would I say I learned a ton and it's revolutionary? Nope.
Would I recommend? Yes.

[Emily McGilvray]

Super fun book especially to listen to. Very true to Misha’s online vibe. I found myself answering his questions out loud. Definitely would recommend

[Amber Kestner]

I didn't get very far in this even after putting it on-hold. I love Misha Brown, I do. I watch his content but this book hasn't set for me even after reading nearly 10 pages. It's one of those that I may never go back too because I do know his story, not like he doesn't share it on Social Media and he has, somewhat.

I'm only keeping it 3 star because it's only fair. I feel that it at least deserves middle rating, I should give it 1-2 stars but I'm not that type of reader.

I recommend to those that want it. But, it wasn't for me.

[Christina C]

Loved the sass and attitude the author delivers. This is a good pick me up

[Lysandra Engstrand]

Just finished the audiobook! Been a long time bestie observer and this book did not disappoint! What an entertaining way to remind us all that we are bad bitches 🫶🏼

[Heather Spaulding]

it was good. Shares a lot of his life experiences and what he learned from them. If you follow him on social media you will love it.

[Annie Hall]

I truly did like sections of this book. Stand up for yourself, yes. Protect others, yes. I never think being mean is justified. Then you are just another one of them. Who gets to decide who gets mercy and who gets spite? Meeting awful with awful never changes anyone. It causes them to double down on their awfulness. And makes you a bully.

My mom always told me that hurt animals hurt others. I'm the first one to be infuriated when someone can't be a kind human. I also always wonder what pain they have experienced that caused then to behave that way. I've seen the crustiest humans completely melt into teddy bears when treated with softness.

I've literally had grown men stand in my office, red in the face yelling at me. Telling them to take a deep breath, take a a walk around the building, and come back when they can treat me with respect is far more cutting. I tell them I care about them and want to listen and take care of them as soon as they can get in a place to talk calmy. It's very rare that they don't take a breath right there and tell me some form of "I'm so sorry, I'm just so stressed about..... " Perfect, let's see what we can do.

Bullying bullies is not a message I can get behind. Hold bullies accountable, yes. Don't become one.

[Reeni Jean]

I’d never heard of Misha before I purchased this book, brand new on release day as part of the self development book reading for 75 hard. This never felt like a self development read though. More like an autobiography and stories from a celeb. Great if you’re interested in the person himself. I don’t think I’ll be calling anyone a crinkle cut French fry any time soon but it was a funny read.

[Katie L'Ecuyer]

While I like the memoir mixed with a self help organization, I felt let down by this book. The amount of times he called himself an internet celebrity made me cringe and made me wonder if he is truly as selfless as he seems. I love his content and recognize that a majority of the stories are definitely embellished for social media. Maybe this book just wasn't for me.

[Kaela Vance]

Wow! Well, if you follow him on social media and you like his videos then you’ll love this book! As a therapist, I can say that he recommends all the right things in his own unique way! I already have clients I KNOW will benefit from this book! Also, I HIGHLY recommend listening to the audiobook version of this one as it is read by the author and makes it come to life so much more!

[Steffanie Thompson]

So glad my sister*cousin recommended this book to me! What a great “hype ya up” read!! If you’re feeling down and out on your luck this is the book for you!!!

[Sherrill Carper]

I loved this book! Positive, uplifting, encouraging and funny. Well done!

[JennyG]

Love, love, love!!!

[BookstagramSam]

Soooo I’ll admit. I’ve never heard of Misha before this! Honestly the cover and title won me over!
But I’m so glad I listened to this. It was the bestie I knew I needed but never sought out to find!

Loved the SASS and lightheartedness but also the realness! The personal stories were a great insight and I truly took away a lot from this! I even annotated and if you know me that’s a big deal!

[Brittany Sabo]

I've been following Misha online for a few years now. So when I saw his book was coming out, I had to have it! Listened to the audio and loved every minute.

[Suzy]

Perfect! Beautiful! So informative! I loved it all! I listened to it this 1st time and plan to read it and mark the heck out of it my 2nd time.

[Luisa Nunez]

Absolutely glorious book! Entertaining and at the same time proving guidance, teaching life lessons, giving the best advice. Super engaging, Misha’s personal stories make it a completely different book from any other of this kind. I am so thankful for Misha, our real and very best friend forever!

[Sarena Flude]

I don't even know who Misha Brown is but I LOVED his book. He had me laughing out loud the entire time and now I want to be his best friend!

[Sharon]

I follow Misha Brown on social media and was thrilled for him when this book deal was announced.

As you might expect, this is an excellent self-help and mental health book with a clever, sassy, and good-humored authorial voice. I have been on my own journey for a while, so some of the exercises he suggests are things I had already done.

The underlying theme is that we all tend to be far more harsh with ourselves than we would be with our best friend, and Brown's goal here is to reverse that. Finding ways to treat ourselves with greater care isn't some woo-woo New Age concept; it's a serious mental health aid that can help as part of an overall program of self-care and improvement.

Highly recommended.

[Heather Collins]

I want to start out by saying this is not your traditional “self help” book as I think most were expecting. Misha has put his own twist on trying to help others in my opinion, in a very laid back way. I follow him on social media and can say that I’m surprised by the way he chose to write this book. Yes, you learn quite a bit about him and what he’s gone through, but those experiences are ones millions go through and will likely find his “tips” easier to help us reflect. Read the book, ask yourself the hard questions and I bet, you’ll be smiling at the end.

[Rae-Leigh Ferris]

As a Gen X woman, I picked up Be Your Own Bestie thinking it would be a cute, cheeky little read with a few laughs and maybe a couple “hmmm… fair point” moments. What I did NOT expect was to be personally attacked… in the best possible way.

Somewhere between the sass, the humour, and the “girl, get it together” energy were these absolute nuggets of wisdom that hit me right in the soul. This book has me rethinking old habits, showing up differently for myself, and honestly starting to build a life that actually feels aligned with who I’m meant to be… not just who everyone else needed me to be.

It’s warm, funny, empowering, relatable, and feels like that one brutally honest best friend who loves you enough to call you out while handing you a latte and hyping you up at the same time.

10/10 recommend for every woman who’s spent years taking care of everyone else and is finally ready to choose herself without guilt.

Turns out becoming your own bestie is kind of life-changing.

[Natalie]

I expect I will be in the minority here. I am not a follower of Misha, although I have seen various videos and found them funny (although maybe my algorithm is giving me his stuff that will most suit me). And while I like his sass and snark in doses, there was a LOT of that, plus maybe a little more of what could be considered meanness, plus LOTS of strong language to consume all at once. That said, for his bestie followers, this is probably what they were expecting and hoping for. And there were some sweet stories in the book that I did really like.

[Melissa]

I've been following Misha Brown on Instagram and Facebook for quite some time now. His videos are so uplifting and I've even cried from some of them. I talked about him in our column post back in December, as the topic was "kindness." So when I heard he had a book releasing last month, I just had to read it! I rarely do audiobooks due to lack of available time, but I made an exception for this one as it was a bit shorter and I was doing more driving than usual. I'm so glad I got to listen to him read his book as it made the experience that much more meaningful. (I also made an exception to reading self-help books, as I normally don't.)

Misha shares stories and anecdotes from his life in order to illustrate the different points he is trying to make to his readers (a.k.a. besties). He also talks about things his friends have gone through and the advice he has given them. As far as self-help books go, this one was a breeze! 

I just loved hearing what Misha had to say and I felt a lot of it was so relatable. I even saw myself in some of the stories he had about his friends. I was cheering him on when he shared something good and getting angry on his behalf when people treated him poorly. I really liked how he was able to rise above the way people treated him and impart his wisdom to others who may be going through the same things. Where was he when I was dealing with a toxic friend in high school?!? (He was probably in elementary school since he's eleven years younger than me. 🤣)

Misha is just so kind, genuine, and a complete ray of sunshine! It's impossible NOT to adore him once you see even just one of his social media videos. I'm jealous of anyone who has gotten to actually connect with him in person or even receive a response to a message they sent him. He's very popular and high-in-demand, so I understand that. I just hope he brings his book tour to my neck of the woods soon. 

There are parts in the book where Misha asks readers to do thought exercises and write things down. I will admit that I didn't do this. I may have thought about what he suggested a few times, but I was hard-pressed to always come up with situations where I would be able to use these exercises. However, they are extremely helpful to anyone who would actually need them. I did feel a boost of confidence from listening to Misha be my own personal cheerleader during my drives and while folding laundry though! 

Something Misha said that was extremely relevant is that people tend to sympathize with bullies instead of victims. That has been happening a lot lately and it's a disturbing trend. Maybe Misha's next book should be helping people realize that they were brainwashed. 

Overall, this is a delightful book to listen to (or read in print or Kindle, if you don't do audio). I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a confidence boost or a push to remove toxicity from their lives. I think everyone can benefit in some way from listening to Misha and becoming their own bestie! (On the audio version, Misha leads a meditation at the end.)

Side note: The other day, my daughter was giving advice to one of her friends regarding some friendship drama. Afterward, I told her how much she sounded like Misha and how proud I was. (She hasn't even listened to Misha, but she definitely said everything he would say!)

Side note 2: Since you know how much I love Ghosts, the name of Misha's method is easy for me to remember. And honestly, Sass could use some S.A.S.S. too. (Although I am impressed by something he did recently, but more for his own sake.)

Originally posted at Chick Lit Central.

[Elise I. Jakabhazy]

I wasn’t really looking for a self-help book when I picked this up. I bought it because I already love Misha Brown as a positive, inspiring internet personality, and his energy translates well to the page. He’s unabashedly out, gay, and fierce, and that openness is part of what makes him so appealing.

Be Your Own Bestie is warm, funny, and genuinely encouraging, but what stood out to me most were the stories. Brown uses personal anecdotes to make his points feel real, and I especially loved the story about the older woman he met at the bus stop and started taking to church because she had a hard time getting there. That kind of small, compassionate gesture gave the book a lot of heart.
I also appreciated the other stories throughout the book, which kept it engaging and made the advice feel lived-in rather than abstract. Even though I’m not an alcoholic or substance abuser, I was proud of him for getting sober and for helping encourage his friend to do the same when she was ready. That honesty and compassion added real depth to the book.

I was a little surprised there wasn’t more about his husband, since that felt like another part of his life that could have added richness to the narrative. Still, Brown’s voice is personable, relatable, and easy to trust. He strikes a nice balance between humor and sincerity, and he never feels preachy.

Overall, this was a thoughtful, uplifting read from someone I already admired. It may be framed as self-help, but for me it worked just as much as a collection of stories about kindness, resilience, and showing up for other people.