From Mics to Manuscripts

In the ever-expanding universe of podcasting, few duos have built a brand as distinct—or as devoutly followed—as Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo, co-hosts of the breakout podcast Giggly Squad. Known for their chaotic banter, real-talk about relationships, and an uncanny ability to turn minor inconveniences into high comedy, the pair has become a cultural force.

Now, they’ve traded the podcast mic for a publishing deal—and the result is How to Giggle, a book that feels exactly like hanging out with your funniest friends on a lazy Sunday, iced coffee in hand.

Released earlier this spring, How to Giggle: A Guide to Having It All (and Then Laughing About It) is a self-help book disguised as a comedy bit—or perhaps, the other way around. Either way, it lands with the same energy that’s made Giggly Squad a chart-topping staple in the lifestyle podcast world: half confessional, half absurd, and 100% on-brand.

The Giggly Origin Story

Before there was a book, there was a text thread. And before that, there was reality TV.

Both Berner and DeSorbo started as cast members on Bravo’s Summer House, a petri dish for sunburns, Spritz-fueled arguments, and budding internet celebrities. But what separated them from the Bravo crowd was their self-awareness. Instead of clinging to Bravo fame, they used it as launch fuel. Giggly Squad was born in 2020, during lockdown, from Instagram Lives that quickly evolved into a full-blown podcast.

Unlike many pop culture pods that rely on celebrity interviews or heavy commentary, Giggly Squad lives in the world of vibe and voice. Listeners come not for deep takes, but for Paige’s hot-girl indifference, Hannah’s comedic riffing, and the duo’s uncanny ability to turn a tangent about dry shampoo into a 10-minute laugh spiral.

That tone—unapologetically feminine, emotionally chaotic, and often irrational—is the exact essence they’ve captured in their first book.

Inside the Book: Structured Chaos, Berner & DeSorbo Style

Don’t expect a linear how-to guide. How to Giggle is not built like a traditional self-help book, nor does it want to be. It’s more like a survival manual for modern girlhood, told through inside jokes, chaotic hypotheticals, and semi-sincere advice.

The chapters are divided by themes—dating, friendships, mental health, work-life delusion—but it’s the tone that sets it apart. One moment they’re detailing the emotional rollercoaster of a situationship, the next they’re offering questionable beauty tips (“If your lip liner is expired, it’s probably a personality trait now”).

And yet, under the humor, there’s something surprisingly resonant. Berner and DeSorbo are not prescribing success—they’re questioning the entire premise of trying to “have it all”, and finding freedom in laughing at the chaos instead.

Giggle as a Philosophy

So, what does it mean to “giggle” in the Giggly Squad universe? It’s not just laughing—it’s how you metabolize life.

“Giggle” is shorthand for choosing levity over perfection, for turning trauma into TikTok content, for surviving a messy breakup by memeing your way through it. It’s a worldview that’s deeply millennial and Gen Z: self-aware, digitally fluent, and allergic to earnest self-optimization.

Where traditional self-help tells you to manifest and hustle, How to Giggle suggests you buy matching pajamas with your best friend, order sushi at 10am, and text your therapist that you’re “spiraling but it’s kind of slay.”

It’s ridiculous. It’s joyful. And for their audience—it’s real.

Co-Writing Chaos: Behind the Scenes of the Book

Writing a book as two voices can be a challenge—especially when both are known for being loud, opinionated, and wildly different.

DeSorbo plays the cool girl straight-man to Berner’s unfiltered comedian. Paige is all about looking hot and staying mysterious. Hannah is about crying in public and oversharing online. And somehow, it works.

In interviews, the pair has admitted that the writing process was exactly as chaotic as fans might imagine—lots of voice notes, chaotic Google Docs, and arguments over chapter titles. But they credit their friendship, and years of riffing on mic, with giving them the rhythm to write like they speak.

And it shows. The book reads like a podcast episode transcribed by someone with ADHD and excellent comedic timing. There are bullet lists, random tangents, and even interactive elements like “Giggly Quizzes” and “Text Templates for When He’s a Walking Red Flag.”

It’s not polished. It’s not precious. And that’s exactly the point.

The Audience: Who This Book Is For

How to Giggle was clearly written with their core fans in mind: mostly women, mostly under 35, who live somewhere between TikTok and therapy, who read DeuxMoi and listen to Call Her Daddy, who are smart but pretend not to care, and who are tired of being told to “figure it all out.”

But what makes the book interesting is how inclusive its irreverence feels. There’s no gatekeeping, no glamorizing the unattainable. If anything, Berner and DeSorbo’s constant contradictions—between wanting to ghost and wanting closure, between self-love and self-destruction—feel refreshingly honest.

They aren’t influencers selling a lifestyle. They’re anti-gurus giving you permission to be a little messier, and to find joy in it anyway.

Beyond the Book: The Giggly Empire Expands

The release of How to Giggle is just one part of the Giggly Squad’s broader expansion. With sold-out live shows, viral merch, and endless brand deals, Berner and DeSorbo are building a lifestyle brand that looks suspiciously like chaos but is actually deeply calculated.

Hannah Berner has already built a successful stand-up career, playing to packed comedy clubs across the country. Paige DeSorbo remains a social media and fashion force, with her Amazon Lives pulling in thousands of viewers every week.

Together, they’ve managed to monetize friendship without losing authenticity—no easy feat in a media world that often devours its own stars.

And with How to Giggle, they’ve added “authors” to their resume in a way that feels neither forced nor performative. They’re not trying to win literary awards. They’re trying to make you laugh out loud at a page-long list of texts you should never send at 2 a.m.

Mission accomplished.

Why It Works: Humor as Self-Help for the TikTok Generation

Self-help, in its traditional form, is starting to feel… dated. In a culture obsessed with hot takes and aesthetic healing, people are craving guidance that doesn’t feel preachy or performative.

That’s where How to Giggle lands differently. It’s not pretending to have the answers. It’s saying, “We’re all kind of a mess, but at least we’re laughing.”

It acknowledges that heartbreak hurts, that insecurity is constant, that career paths are chaotic—and then it hands you a joke and says, now go survive it stylishly.

This is self-help for people who don’t read self-help. It’s the comfort of a group chat, the wisdom of a meme, the joy of not taking yourself so seriously.

Impression

With How to Giggle, Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo haven’t written the book that will change your life. But they’ve written the book that might just get you through a bad week, help you laugh at your worst date, and remind you that your friends are the best therapy you can afford.

It’s not about becoming better. It’s about becoming lighter—and finding power in that.

For fans of the Giggly Squad, the book is an instant add-to-cart. For everyone else, it’s a surprisingly thoughtful, deeply funny peek into the mindset of a generation trying to laugh their way through chaos.

And honestly? That feels like the best advice of all.

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