Brianna Wiest is an American author who writes in the field of personal growth. She is known for the books 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think (2016), The Mountain Is You (2020) and The Pivot Year (2023). Her work has reached global bestseller lists, and her books have ranked first on major audiobook charts.
Brianna Wiest was born on Long Island, New York. She studied English at Elizabethtown College and earned a B.A. in that field. She later received an Honorary Doctorate in Literature from the same college after giving the 2024 commencement address.
She has said that her early interest in ideas came from childhood moments with her father, adding, “It’s something I’ve always loved.” During her school years, she often read, and she recalls shelves of books in her room. A high school teacher read daily passages to the class, and she remembers how those words made her feel calm.
After college, Wiest began to meditate, and she has said this practice shaped a new phase of her life. She wrote in journals and noted that she wanted to focus on what she desired, not only on what she feared. Between 2013 and 2017, she spent many hours in her local bookshop reading titles on psychology and related fields. At that time, she worked as a journalist for several outlets while also writing personal essays. She has said that these essays felt “alive” to her, and readers responded to them.
Her first major book was 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think (2016). She went on to write The Mountain Is You (2020), I Am The Hero of My Own Life, Salt Water (2017), Ceremony (2021), When You’re Ready, This Is How You Heal (2022), The Pivot Year (2023), 101 Quotes That Will Change The Way You Think (2024), The Life That’s Waiting and Great Callings (2025).
Her books have sold millions of copies and are being translated into more than forty languages. Media outlets such as Forbes, Harper’s Bazaar and Yoga Journal have included her titles in their annual lists. The Pivot Year was named by Women.com as one of the best books of the decade.
Her most recent book, Great Callings (2025), studies the inner barriers that shape creative work. It presents fear, resistance and old beliefs as openings for change. It invites readers to link daily action to deeper values and to walk toward growth with a steady inner aim.
Brianna Wiest now lives in California with her fiancé.
Photo credit: www.briannawiest.com
