Marianne Elliot is a human rights activist, yoga teacher and writer from New Zealand. She describes her site as “a watering hole for do-gooders, wanna-be do-gooders and recovering do-gooders. If you’ve ever thought the world could be a kinder, safer, fairer place – and maybe you could play a role in making it so – this site is for you. It’s a place to remember you are not alone, to meet others of your kind and share your stories.”

I first discovered Marianne’s website while I was working in Toronto for a nonprofit organization and in great need of instructions in self-care. Her website spoke to me because she addressed the danger of burn out that often comes with working in nonprofit environment while presenting the idea of self care without making it seem too wishy-washy.

I’ve followed her blog as she was writing her memoir, and she shared her doubts, hopes and joys throughout the two years of writing her memoir. I think that this was a brilliant business strategy, because by the time her book was ready to be published, she had already created an online community of supporters eagerly anticipating this book. Her writing is honest, intelligent and compassionate. She talks honestly about her anxiety, grief and guilt that she has experienced as a human rights lawyer working in war torn countries – I think that this perspective is often missing when we talk about heavy political topics. In this way she brings a human quality to global stories.

Marianne, who describes herself as a “recovering human rights worker” now devotes herself to helping people heal through yoga and writing. She runs online yoga classes, 30 Days of Yoga, and is innovative in her approach by creating a community through forums that participants can access and personalized emails. I don’t think that there is any other yoga class like it.

I took one of Marianne’s 30-day yoga courses when I was first interested in yoga, but wasn’t brave enough to attend an in-person studio class. Her online class offered the privacy to do yoga from home, but with the support of an online community of other students. Because of the nature of online communication, I think that I actually had more engaging connections with these students than would have been possible in an in-person class.

She highlights other aid workers and healers on her blog through interviews, guest blog posts and other media, building a active community on her website. She is active on Twitter and Facebook and her writing has appeared on various online news sources.

I think what I find most inspirational about Marianne is that she is a great example of a successful online entrepreneur who brings a human quality to her online persona. She has taken her experience, skills and passions, found a niche in the online world and built a community around it. She shows that any skill or service marketed the right way can be implemented into the online world.