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15 Non-Native English Bloggers You Should Follow Today

Farnoosh Brock. Mary Jaksch. Mars Dorian and Henneke Duistermaat. They have something in common.

Something very special.

They are extremely talented bloggers, sure.

They are always creating content that people love to share.

They genuinely care about their audience. They are passionate with a capital P.

But that’s not it. It’s something truly unique.

You’ll know it when you see their names and their beautiful faces.

You’ll know it for sure, when you hear them speak.

They are non-native speakers of English – and write better than most people you know.  Not only do they come from exotic locales, but are also damned proud of it.

For anyone who has ever tried to say, oh I can’t succeed online, English is not my first language, they show you how it’s done.

Who exactly am I talking about here? Glad you asked …

(You need a non-native English background AND an accent to qualify for this list. For that reason I haven’t included people like Ramit Sethi (I WIll Teach You to be Rich), Neil Patel (Kissmetrics and Quick Sprout) or Srinivas Rao (Blogcast FM).

I’ll go alphabetical order for this one …

#1 Ana Hoffman

Claim to fame: Built a fantastic community on her blog offering traffic tips for free traffic.

Country of origin: Russia

Blogs at: Traffic Generation Cafe – Big Website Traffic for Small Budgets

Niche: Website Traffic

Found on About page: Traffic Generation Cafe brings you the most profit-pulling free traffic generation tips, tricks, and resources, so that your website and business will go where no website has gone before.

#2 Bamidele Onibalusi

Claim to fame: Successful blogger and freelance bloggger. And he is 18 years old.

Country of origin: Nigeria

Blogs at: Young Prepro – How to Write for Traffic and Money

Niche: Online Freelance Writing

Found on About page: I focus on generating traffic through your writing so you can grow your income doing something you love from the comfort of your home.

#3 Celes Chua

Claim to fame: A personal development blogger with a HUGE, as in MASSIVE following.

Country of origin: Singapore

Blogs at: Personal Excellence – for People Passionate about Achieving Excellence in Life

Niche: Personal Development

Found on About page: I have been interviewed and quoted over 70 times in print, TV and online media, including CNN International, Cosmopolitan, Business Insider, CBS Business Network, Channel News Asia, Simply Her Magazine, Singapore Women’s Weekly, Asia One, Sun-Herald, The Sunday Age, OMY Singapore, 938 Live radio, Kiss92 and more.

#4 Daniel Scocco

Claim to fame: Owner of one of the largest blogging blogs Daily Blog Tips

Country of origin: Brazil

Blogs at: Daily Blog Tips

Niche: Blog Monetization

Found on About page: Daniel Scocco has lived and studied in several places around the world, including Italy, Chile and Brazil. When he is not involved with online projects he likes to write in the third person about himself.

#5 Farnoosh Brock

Claim to fame. Helps you leave the cubicle and creator of Smart Exit Blueprint and The Daily Interaction podcast. All of this with her delightful spirit, boundless energy and zeal for life.

Country of origin: Iran

Blogs at: Prolific Living – Smart Habits for Rich Living

Niche: Lifestyle Design

Found on About page: Born and raised in Persia – or Iran, same thing – to a Mom who believes we descended from Persian royalty (!!!) and a Dad who believes anything is possible and planning is over-rated (!!!!)
I never thought I would write books, and now I can’t imagine not writing.

#6 Francisco Rosales

Claim to fame. The #1 spot in the Top 10 Social Media Blogs 2012 by Social Media Examiner plus a long list of mentions in prestigious places.

Country of origin: Guatemala

Blogs at: Social Mouths – Kick-ass Social Media Advice for the Real Entrepreneur

Niche: Social Media Marketing

Found on About page: Started a business with my wife without any money or experience. In three years we turned it into an 8 million dollar a year company.

#7 Hector Cuevas

Claim to fame. Highly readable content on content marketing. Creator of high quality free resources such as Inbound Marketing Course.

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Blogs at: Inbound Pro – Inbound Marketing Strategies Made Simple

Niche: Content Marketing

Found on About page: If you only get One thing out of this visit to my site today, let it be this… those who say “Blogging Is Dead” are Dead Wrong!

#8 Henneke Duistermaat

Claim to fame: Guest posts on Copyblogger, Boost Blog Traffic, Kissmetrics and BlueGlass. A blogger to watch out for. And a dear friend of mine. 🙂

Country of origin: Netherlands

Blogs at: Enchanting Marketing – Grow Your Business with Online Marketing

Niche:  Content Marketing

Found on About page: We work with small and medium-sized businesses. We work with business owners and marketers. The only condition is that you’re passionate about your business.

#9 Henri Junttila

Claim to fame: Someone who built a successful lifestyle business and is teaching others to do the same. Massive numbers of guest posts on sites like Dumb Little Man.

Country of origin: Sweden

Blogs at: Wake Up Cloud – Turn Your Passion into Thriving Lifestyle Business

Niche: Lifestyle Design

Found on About page: My approach to online business is holistic. I’m not just here to show you how to make money online, because that’s not the end goal. The end goal is to help you develop an online business that supports your lifestyle and adds freedom to your life, so you can do what you want, when you want, and from where you want.

#10 Marko Saric

Claim to fame: Got his blog featured on BBC.

Country of origin: Denmark

Blogs at: How to Make My Blog – Your Guide to Starting a Blog

Niche: Blogging

Found on About page: This blog features all the information and advice you may need when starting a blog: videos, screenshots and textual step-by-step instructions are available.

Marya Jan

Err – this would be me! Shamless, I know.

Country of origin: Pakistan

Blogs at: Writing Happiness – rethink content – grow your business – make a difference

Niche: Business Blogging

Found on About page: I am the classic INFJ personality type. ‘The Confidant”. I am a book lover, a foodie, business self-help addict and obsessed with perfumes.

#11 Mary Jaksch

Claim to fame. Editor Write to Done and the force behind A-list Blogging Bootcamps.

Country of origin: Germany

Blogs at: Goodlife Zen – Practical Inspiration for Happier Life.

Niche: Personal Development

Found on About page: I’ve been awarded an MA in Religious Studies, hold a 4th Dan Blackbelt in karate, started  professional life as a flautist and love dancing Argentine tango in skimpy dresses.

#12 Mars Dorian

Claim to fame. Bold art, bolder voice.

Country of origin: Germany

Blogs at: Mars Dorian – I help you Stand Out Online.

Niche: Branding

Found on About page: Helping you break through the noise. Getting the attention you need. And attracting raving fans that spread and buy your stuff.

Why you should follow him: Because we all need to stand out.

#13 Peep Laja

Claim to fame: Incredibly in-depth posts about on-site conversion.

Country of origin: Estonia

Blogs at: Conversion XL – Extra Lucrative Conversion Advice

Niche: Online Conversion

Found on About page: “Smart people only. I write for smart people. No cheesy stuff”

Why you should follow him: If you want people to subscribe to your blog and generally do what you ask them to.

#14 Samar Owais

Claim to fame. Successful freelance writer and creator of ecourse ‘How to Break Free From Low-Paying Writing Gigs (And Earn More)’

Country of origin: Pakistan

Blogs at: The Writing Base – Rock Solid Tips for Freelance Writing Success

Niche: Freelance Writing

Found on About page: This blog is for you if you’re so frustrated with the state of your freelance business that you feel like pulling your hair out. Every. Single. Day.

Why you should follow her: She is an amazing writer. Truly.

#15 Sean D’Souza

Claim to fame. Conversion and consumer psychology tips. Guest posts on Write to Done and previously Copyblogger

Country of origin: India

Blogs at: Psychotactics – Why Customers Buy (and Why They Don’t)

Niche: Sales Psychology

Found on About page: It’s a normal working day, when the clock strikes 4. That’s why if you write to me (DON’T CALL …you’ll wake up everyone else!), you’ll often get responses at weird hours.

So there you have it.

If you also come from a faraway land, and feeling down for whatever reason, learn from these people: Great minds at work, plus cute accents to boot.

Now, who can resist that?

Have you taken my 3-minute Client Attraction Quiz? Check it out now, it’s awesome! :)

Marya Jan

64 Comments

  1. Rohit Sharma Says :
    Posted on April 8, 2013 at 5:44 am

    Only I can say is – “Thank you for this treasure…”

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 8, 2013 at 6:01 am

      You are most welcome. I think the world needs to see this … 😉

  2. Andrea T.H.W. Says :
    Posted on April 8, 2013 at 5:47 am

    Great list Marya, I’ve found some bloggers who I should check. And I’ll do it now.

    Have a great week!

  3. Henneke | Enchanting Marketing Says :
    Posted on April 8, 2013 at 8:31 am

    Thank you for including me, Marya. *blushes*

    Can I nominate Michael Aagaard as #16? He blogs about content, copy & conversion at http://www.contentverve.com. He’s from Denmark.

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 8, 2013 at 10:01 am

      It’s my pleasure, Henneke. I truly believe you are definitely the one to watch! 🙂

      Thanks for letting me know about Michael. I am looking at his website now .. lots of interesting stuff.

  4. Samar Says :
    Posted on April 8, 2013 at 10:40 am

    Oh wow. Thanks for including me in such excellent company Marya 🙂

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 8, 2013 at 11:10 am

      My pleasure. 🙂 I love your stuff!

  5. Henri Says :
    Posted on April 8, 2013 at 11:28 am

    Thanks Marya. I really appreciate it.

    Some great people here 🙂

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 8, 2013 at 11:36 am

      You’re most welcome, Henri. You are doing such good work, and you are such a great coach. 😉 Even though some people are so slow at implementing things … getting there …

      • Henri Says :
        Posted on April 8, 2013 at 11:37 am

        Hahaa. I’m happy as long as progress is being made. Sometimes the worst thing you can do is try to rush things.

        • Marya Jan Says :
          Posted on April 8, 2013 at 11:42 am

          Got it! Thanks for the understanding. 🙂

  6. Hector Cuevas Says :
    Posted on April 8, 2013 at 2:17 pm

    This is such an awesome list. Thanks for including me. I follow some of these bloggers, but I saw a few new faces. I’m gonna go check ’em out.

    By the way, my country of origin: Dominican Republic 🙂

    Thanks again

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 9, 2013 at 2:03 am

      No worries, Hector. You are equally awesome! 🙂 And thanks for the info about your background. i did try looking it up but couldn’t find it anywhere. Now we know … thanks again.

  7. Farnoosh Says :
    Posted on April 8, 2013 at 2:41 pm

    What a wonderful list and what a unique collection here, Marya. I learned so much about a lot of my good fellow bloggers that I did not know and thank you for highlighting the fact that English not being your first (or in my case, not even second but third) language for you is no excuse not to blog and be super successful.
    Honored to be on your list and so glad you added yourself. Well-deserved of course and thank you so much, Marya.

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 9, 2013 at 2:10 am

      Hey Farnoosh. you said it. People often think of themsleves as a lost cause if ther mother tongue is not English. And I get that, there are lot of biases against us and it can be really hard. However, if someone is talented, classy and willing to learn and work hard, there is no reason why they can’t make it. Readers can be forgiving for the occasional mistake in grammar or syntax, if they see your heart is in the right place.
      I wanted to do this list for a while but never felt the timing was right. I feel like I need to earn it to be able to drop my own name in there. Cheeky, I know. 🙂 Also I wanted to make it positive, rather than dreary ‘so English is not your first language’ type of thing …
      Many thanks for your lovely comment. Have a great day! 🙂

      • Farnoosh Says :
        Posted on April 9, 2013 at 12:57 pm

        Hey darling Marya, I totally endorse and approve you to be on the list. How is that? 🙂 Me and everyone on the list, I’m sure of it and I love that you are gutsy about it all while still compassionate and understanding.
        When people ask me that question, I always want to reply, “No it’s actually my 3rd language. And I’ve written several books and about 600 blog posts. What about you?” ;))

        • Marya Jan Says :
          Posted on April 10, 2013 at 3:00 am

          Your response? Classic! I love it. Wish I were that confident. 😉

          No, actually I do struggle with ‘the accent’ thing from time to time. Especially when I hear things about how people from developing countries are producing low quality work, and you can get cheap labour (writing & design for example) from that part of the world, I just feel like defending us. I want to say, not everyone is ‘good enough’ by the virtue of their colour of skin. It is actually a serious issue, but like I said I wanted to highlight the positive.

          Thanks for the endorsement, Farnoosh. Means a lot to me, truly does. Have a fabulous day. 🙂

      • Henneke | Enchanting Marketing Says :
        Posted on April 9, 2013 at 5:47 pm

        Hey Marya

        Don’t forget that native speakers make mistakes, too! There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.

        In some cases being a non-native speaker can be an advantage – like a tendency to write simpler English.

        • Marya Jan Says :
          Posted on April 10, 2013 at 3:02 am

          I hear you. I think we tend to be harder on ourselves though ..

  8. Praveen Rajarao (@brpraveen) Says :
    Posted on April 8, 2013 at 5:03 pm

    You got a nice list going here Marya. I do know some of them and follow their blogs regularly, but many are new to me. I will check them out, and I am sure they are awesome, recommended by you.

    It is good to see such a unique list of out-of-town bloggers 🙂

    Thanks for sharing.

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 9, 2013 at 2:11 am

      Out-of-town bloggers. I LOVE that expression. 🙂
      And thanks, Praveen. Always appreciate your support.

  9. Mars Dorian Says :
    Posted on April 8, 2013 at 9:02 pm

    Wow, I had no idea.
    I thought some of these people were actually from English-speaking countries – judging from their blog writing.

    It’s an awesome list, and I wish there were more non-native bloggers in the world. People get to get discouraged by natives and don’t even try. I hope we change that, Marya !

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 9, 2013 at 2:15 am

      I hope so too, Mars. 🙂
      And I bet there are many, many more. I just picked the ones I follow, and who would be relevant to my audience, even if in a broad sense.
      Many thanks for dropping by. Truly appreciated.

  10. Des @ Ditch the Degree Says :
    Posted on April 9, 2013 at 4:02 am

    I didn’t know most of them.
    Well, Marya, I really appreciate this list. Anna Hoffman is one of my faves actually.

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 9, 2013 at 4:10 am

      Thanks, Des. Hope you discover some new people to follow … cheers. 🙂

  11. Peep Laja Says :
    Posted on April 9, 2013 at 5:39 am

    Thanks for the mention.

    ConversionXL has a monthly audience of over 100k – and its only 1.5yrs old. I had my doubts about blogging in English as a non-native speaker, but now I wish I had started years ago.

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 9, 2013 at 5:58 am

      Peep, great to hear from you. I love your content – and it’s very worthy of the huge audience you talk about. Congrats. And thank you! 🙂

  12. Marko Saric Says :
    Posted on April 9, 2013 at 8:41 am

    thanks for featuring me Marya! lots of new blogs to learn from now!

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 9, 2013 at 9:52 am

      My pleasure. You are doing good work, Marko! 🙂

  13. Patricia BT Says :
    Posted on April 9, 2013 at 9:18 am

    Hi Marya, what a great post! thank you very much

    I know some of the people you list here and I am subscribed to their newsletter. I’m also very happy to discover more!

    I’m a french speaker WITH an accent 😉 and in the process to implement a project on international blogging, so this post is so good to read and arrives in a perfect time.

    Thanks again and looking forward to interact with you all.
    Patricia

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 9, 2013 at 9:55 am

      Hey Patricia. Glad to know another one with an accent. 😉 And I also speak a bit of French. I took an introductory course, long time ago. Enough to understand the popular cultural references, bit no enough to survive without a dictionary. Go figure ..

      Thanks for stopping by. Hope you discover new bloggers to follow ..

  14. Michael Says :
    Posted on April 9, 2013 at 3:37 pm

    I know most of them and they are truly amazing.

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 10, 2013 at 3:00 am

      Glad to know you approve, Michael. Thanks. 🙂

  15. Bamidele Onibalusi Says :
    Posted on April 9, 2013 at 6:27 pm

    Great list, Marya!

    I know and occasionally follow all the bloggers on this list but I wouldn’t have imagined that English isn’t the first language of more than half of the bloggers featured.

    As long as someone is determined to succeed, nothing really can hinder that person.

    I’m also honored to be included. Thanks! 🙂

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 10, 2013 at 3:03 am

      Mars Dorian said the same thing. I guess that means they write so well that you wouldn’t know. 🙂 Thanks, Oni.

  16. Irfan Siddiqui Says :
    Posted on April 9, 2013 at 6:35 pm

    Hey Marya, I’m completely new to your blog though I know the faces you have mentioned in your article. It’s really nice to read about people you are already in touch with.

    I know I have not achieved that level yet to be featured in your article but I would love to steal a position in your next article as Professional Logo Designer from India. 😉 #Dreams

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 10, 2013 at 3:04 am

      Well, better get working to make it a reality then, eh? Good luck, and thanks. 🙂

      • Irfan Siddiqui Says :
        Posted on April 10, 2013 at 11:32 am

        Yeah! You are right, I have not achieved in the field of blogging but, I did in designing. Check out my service page, Onibalusi has featured me in his resource page – I think that’s a big achievement! 😉

  17. Sergio Felix Says :
    Posted on April 9, 2013 at 7:03 pm

    Hey Marya,

    Already recognize most of these exceptional bloggers except for maybe four or five of them (this is my first time on your blog by the way).

    I’m a mexican and have never lived outside of Mexico and I’ve been blogging for two years in English without any problem whatsoever.

    You can have either results or excuses but you can’t have both!

    Sergio

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 10, 2013 at 3:05 am

      You can either have results or excuses, but you can’t have both. Gotta love that!
      Thanks Sergio. Hope you’ll stick around, too. Cheers

  18. Jaanika Says :
    Posted on April 9, 2013 at 7:22 pm

    Hey Marya,
    Thank you for this awesome list. Found some new faces to follow 🙂

  19. Ana Hoffman Says :
    Posted on April 9, 2013 at 8:33 pm

    Somehow, I don’t feel as lonely in the blogosphere any longer, Marya – THANK YOU.

    Reading this post also gave me a whole new respect for these bloggers, some of whom I’ve worked with in the past, but didn’t necessarily know they were non-native English speakers.

    And you are so right, too many people use their not-so-perfect English skills as the reason they don’t do so well online. Now they have no excuse… oh, my. 🙂

    • Ana Hoffman Says :
      Posted on April 9, 2013 at 8:45 pm

      By the way, one more for your collection:

      Dainis Graveris from http://www.1stwebdesigner.com is from Latvia.

      • Ehsan Says :
        Posted on April 9, 2013 at 9:07 pm

        And Ehsan Ullah from http://www.guideandnews.com is from Afghanistan.

        Kidding.

        Hey Marya, First time on your blog – like what I see so far. Thanks to Onibalusi of YoungPrePro for sending me this way.

        Daniel Scocco is my favorite who always guided through every step of blogging, and Farnoosh is someone I know personally and follow her blog.

        By the way, If you’re planning to update the list, why not add one from Afghanistan? Visit my blog, read the about page and I’ll try to convince you 😉

        • Marya Jan Says :
          Posted on April 10, 2013 at 3:11 am

          Hello Ehsan, and welcome! 🙂 I have a lot of people who will go on my next list. Afghanistan definitely needs to be on it! 😉
          Thanks for coming by. Hope to see you sticking around …

      • Marya Jan Says :
        Posted on April 10, 2013 at 3:08 am

        Will check him out. Thanks.

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 10, 2013 at 3:08 am

      I know exactly how you feel, Ana. Sometimes, it just makes a difference when you talk about something, instead of hiding it. And we all know these people are NOT hiding anything .. they are transparent and honest about everything they do, and that is why they have such loyal audiences.

      Ditto about not using this as an excuse either. Thank you! 🙂

  20. Shanker Bakshi
    Posted on April 10, 2013 at 2:26 am

    Ohh…you forget to include the Great John Chow….

  21. Rahul Senna Says :
    Posted on April 10, 2013 at 2:38 pm

    Interesting thanks for the list.. First time on your blog … I never knew any Pakistani blogger before.

  22. Madras Geek Says :
    Posted on April 10, 2013 at 8:23 pm

    Great post! I have been a fan of Bamidele Onibalusi, Daniel Scocco.. following other bloggers now. thanks for introducing me 🙂

  23. Laura Caluian Says :
    Posted on April 15, 2013 at 6:12 am

    Great list! Very helpful and inspiring for non-English native bloggers, like us! Congratulations!

  24. Weekly Marketing Skinny: April 13, 2013 Says :
    Posted on April 15, 2013 at 6:32 pm

    […] 15 Non-Native English Bloggers You Should Follow Today – Marya Jan, WritingHappiness.com […]

  25. Ana Hoffman Says :
    Posted on April 16, 2013 at 5:57 pm

    Gave your post a shout here, Marya: http://www.trafficgenerationcafe.com/weekly-marketing-skinny-april-13-2013/

    • Marya Jan Says :
      Posted on April 17, 2013 at 4:20 am

      Thanks so much, Ana. I appreciate it. 🙂

      Have tweeted it for you.

  26. Evgenko Says :
    Posted on April 19, 2013 at 5:00 am

    How come you didn’t include me? 🙁
    I sure am cute and funny and write in English fabulously!
    Just kidding. Thank you for sharing this, it’s really nice to feel like I am not alone out there on the web. And yes, I already knew some of the names on the list but had no idea English was their SL (referring to Anna Hoffman and Daniel Scocco).

  27. Farrell John Conejos Says :
    Posted on April 22, 2013 at 5:13 pm

    Hi Marya,

    Thanks for sharing this very informative post. The list of bloggers you posted have their own specialties. And its nice to know that you’ve distinguished them all and introduced them uniquely. I guess I have to follow some of them so that I would learn more about blogging. Thanks again for the post.

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    Posted on June 20, 2013 at 4:17 pm

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  31. Gabriela Says :
    Posted on June 12, 2014 at 9:59 am

    Thanks Marya for this encouraging post.

    I recently started blogging about contemplative creatives and one of the excuses that kept holding me back was “English is not my first language”.

    Thanks for bursting my perfectionism 🙂