I take the privacy of visitors to this site and users of my services very seriously. As a basic principle of working, I hold the confidentiality of clients and intending clients in the highest regard. The following guidelines are intended to inform visitors and users about how I treat people’s privacy and about their options for viewing their data, modifying it, downloading it, anonymising it, complaining about it or deleting it.
This policy should be viewed along with my Terms and Conditions, to which this Privacy Policy is linked. Acceptance of this Privacy Policy also means acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
What information do I collect?
When you visit this web site or make other contact with me, you may provide me with two types of information: (a) personal information you knowingly choose to disclose that is collected on an individual basis and (b) website use information collected on an aggregate basis as you and others browse my site.
(a) Personal information you choose to provide
Registration Information
When you register for any of our products, services or newsletters you will provide us information about yourself, as follows:
Email Information
If you choose to correspond with me through email, the Contact form on my website, or to receive newletters or other information from me, I may retain the content of your email messages together with your email address and my responses. I provide a high level of protection for these electronic communications, using the best anti-virus and anti-malware software that I am aware of, and regularly double-backing everything up.
Emails sent to me on my Contact form and/or my email address may be retained in my email client for no more than one year, after which they are automatically deleted. If I reply, your name and email address is retained on my address list. At the bottom of this Privacy Policy, you can use a link to contact me to request more details on this information, to amend it or to have it removed.
Such contact is treated separately from my Newsletter and Updates address list and I do not use the above information provided through the contact form for such purposes or for marketing.
Contact details and payment for courses and coaching
If you are booking on a course with me or receiving coaching, I may retain your contact details which may be stored digitally. This will consist of your name, address, email address, and telephone number(s). This information is needed so that we may contact you if the need arises. These details may be stored digitally and are subject to the same rigorous processes to ensure their security.
Payment for any services may be by bank transfer, in which case your financial details are not accessible by me. However it may be by Paypal, who will ask for your financial information in order to complete the transaction. That information may contain components that are visible to me. However, I do not myself download, retain or store any financial information, digitally or on paper.
Signing up for newsletters, and online and downloadable courses and other material
When you sign up for a newletter service, blog posts or other information provided by me, I ask for your first name, surname and email address. I need you email address for making email contact in relation to the provision of my services, and I need your first and surname to be able to address you personally rather than anonymously. In the field in which I work, I seek to encourage as much real, human contact as is possible within the limitations of the digital world.
This is a consent-based system. It is done through my emailing organisation, Mailchimp, who retain this data on their servers and act on my behalf as a data processor. Mailchimp have a GDPR-compliant privacy shield, with which we have an agreement. You will be provided with the means to review this data when you receive each mailing from me, through a link at the bottom of each email (called “update subscription preferences”), and you can amend the record on this link. Alternatively you may unsubscribe if you wish, by clicking on the relevant links (called “unsubscribe from this list”) at the bottom of the email. Each address list has its own database and to unsubscribe from each list you will need to go to an email from the relevant list.
After unsubscribing, I will discontinue sending all e-mails and newsletters from that list as soon as technically feasible. This discontinuation will not only include any newsletter you have previously been receiving but all other newsletters and other types of mailings.
Mailchimp also makes use of cookies as part of each bulk mailing by me via Mailchimp. This is in effect similar to the section below about cookies, where they collect information on who opened a mailing, what links they clicked on and which pages they visited on my site. This helps me plan the presentation of my webpages and the information and services I provide, to ensure it more accurately serves your needs.
This service is provided by Mailchimp, who are a separate organisation to me based in the USA. Mailchimp store this information confidentially on their website.
Occasionally, I may also use the personal information I collect at Mailchimp under (a) above to notify you about important changes to my website, new services, and special offers I think you will find valuable.
Blog comments
I moderate my blog. Comments have to be approved by me before they appear on my site. I have a zero tolerance policy towards trolling and any other ways in which people are personally disrespectful to others or use swear words. Such posts do not appear.
People who make comments are obliged to give their name and email address. This data is stored at our server, Siteground, and also retains the IP address. The email and IP address are not shown publicly. I do not use this data for marketing such as sending emails to commentators, and their data is not added to my Mailchimp lists.
On request though the Contact form (see the bottom of this Privacy Policy), I will remove any commentators’ data submitted along with their comments.
(b) Website use information
Similar to other websites, my website uses a standard technology called “cookies” (see explanation below, “What Are Cookies?”) and web server log files to collect information about how my website is used. Information gathered through cookies and web server logs may include the date and time of visits, the pages viewed, time spent at my website, and the websites visited just before and just after my website. This information is collected on an aggregate basis and does not identify you personally.
How do I use the information that you provide me?
Broadly speaking, I use website information for purposes of administering my activities, providing the products and services requested, processing any payment, monitoring the use of the service, my marketing and promotional efforts and improving my content and service offerings, and customising my site’s content, layout, services and for other lawful purposes. These uses improve my site and my services and better tailor it to meet your needs.
Furthermore, such information may be shared with others only on an aggregate basis. Personally identifiable information or business information will not be shared with other parties, except as required by law (see below).
What are cookies?
A cookie is a very small text document, which often includes an anonymous unique identifier. When you visit a website, that site’s computer asks your computer for permission to store this file in a part of your hard drive specifically designated for cookies. Each website can send its own cookie to your browser if your browser’s preferences allow it, but (to protect your privacy) your browser only permits a website to access the cookies it has already sent to you, not the cookies sent to you by other sites. Browsers are usually set to accept cookies. A cookie cannot retrieve any other data from your hard drive or pass on computer viruses.
You can read more about my cookie policy here. If you would prefer not to receive cookies, you may alter the configuration of your browser to refuse cookies. You can use the information on this link to delete cookies if you wish.
How do I use information I collect from cookies?
As you visit and browse my website, the site uses cookies to differentiate you from other users. In some cases, I also use cookies to prevent you from having to log in further than is necessary for security. Cookies, in conjunction with my web server’s log files, and with Google Analytics and WordPress, allow me to calculate the aggregate number of people visiting my website and which parts of the site are most popular. This helps me gather feedback to constantly improve my website and better serve my clients. My cookies do not allow me to gather any personal information about you and I do not intentionally store any personal information that your browser provided to me in your cookies.
Some cookies, such as Google Analytics are used therefore to improve the performance of the site. Othere cookies are essential to the running of the site, such as the GDPR compliance cookies used to ensure compliance with the EU”s General Data Protection Regulation. You can also learn about these and how to manage them in the above Cookie Policy page.
IP Addresses
IP addresses are used by your computer every time you are connected to the Internet. Your IP address is a number that is used by computers on the network to identify your computer. IP addresses are automatically collected by my web server as part of demographic and profile data known as traffic data so that data (such as the Web pages you request) can be sent to you. The IP address alone does not give me or the servers I use any personal information or data about you, except when a blog comment retains an email addess and IP address. IP addresses are not collected as part of the Mailchimp sign-up process and data retention described above under (a). They are not published. They are not used for marketing.
Other relevant Privacy information
Sharing and selling information
I do not share, sell, lend or lease any of the information that uniquely identifies a subscriber (such as email addresses or personal details) with anyone. One exception may be when it is necessary to process a financial transaction, or provide certain services that you have requested, and in thoses cases the financial bodies I might deal with operate under a strict code of banking confidentiality. I will only deal with those bodies that operate in a confidential manner.
Data breach
The site security is constantly being monitored and any attempts at security breaches will usually be blocked. If a data breach occurs, all people affected by the breach will be contacted as soon as possible and asked to make any relevant changes as needed. What will be required will be specified in the notification.
How can you access and correct your information?
You may request access to all your personally identifiable information that I collect online and maintain in my database by emailing me via my contact form as stated at the end of this policy statement below (See “Data controller contact”) or by using the specific data review forms also provided there. You can also access and amend or delete the information about you held by Mailchimp on a link provided on a Mailchimp mailing from me, as described above.
What about legally compelled disclosure of information?
I may disclose information when legally compelled to do so, in other words, when I, in good faith, believe that the law requires it or for the protection of my legal rights. I may also disclose account information when I have reason to believe that disclosing this information is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be violating my terms of service or to protect the safety of my users and the public.
What about other websites linked to my website?
I am not responsible for the practices employed by websites linked to or from my website or the information or content contained therein. The vast majority of links to other websites are provided solely as pointers to information on topics that may be useful to the users of my website.
Please remember that when you use a link to go from my website to another website, my Privacy Policy is no longer in effect. Your browsing and interaction on any other web site, including websites, which have a link on my website, is subject to that website’s own rules and policies. Please read over those rules and policies before proceeding.
Your Consent
By using my website you consent to my collection and use of your information as described in this Privacy Policy and on first arrival on my site. There is a consent bar provided at the bottom of the page, which disappears when consent is provided by you. The collection of your name and contact details, where relevant, will include a consent process in which you are clearly asked for your consent by a form and an “opt-in” process, as described above. The collection of aggregate information such as cookies is not stored by me in a way that identifies you personally.
Our Commitment To Data Security
Please note that your information will be stored and processed on my computer in France and those of Mailchimp USA at www.mailchimp.com. In addition aggregrate data is stored by my servers at Siteground. The laws on holding personal data in France and USA may more or be less stringent than the laws of your country of residence or citizenship. To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, I have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information I collect online.
A Special Note About Children
Children are not eligible to use my services unsupervised and I ask that children (under the age of 18) do not submit any personal information to me. If you are a minor, you can use this service only in conjunction with permission and guidance from your parents or guardians. In addition, as stated in my terms and conditions, I do not knowingly deliver my coaching services to those under the age of 18.
Acquisition or Changes in Ownership
In the event that the website (or a substantial portion of its assets) is acquired, your information would be considered part of those assets, and may be part of those assets that are transferred. I would inform you that such a transfer was taking place, so that at the point of transfer you have the opportunity to unsubscribe.
Policy Modifications
I may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. If/when changes are made to this privacy policy, I will post any changes here, so be sure to check back periodically. However, please be assured that if the Privacy Policy changes in the future, I will not use the personal information you have submitted to me under this Privacy Policy in a manner that is materially inconsistent with this Privacy Policy, without your prior consent.
Users of the site, those that have login access, will be notified of changes to this policy and be required to consent to the updated policy.
Data controller contact
If you wish to ask for any information about the details about you that I hold under (a) above or to have any details deleted, you can contact me using the contact form here