Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 01/01/2023

Quick Summary: What You Need to Know

We respect your time, your inbox, and your boundaries. Here’s the short version:

We collect your name and email only when you choose to give it—like when downloading a freebie, signing up for the newsletter, or messaging us.
We never sell your data. Ever. Not to marketers. Not to affiliates. Not to AI overlords.
We use cookies to make the site work better and understand what’s helpful to you. You can disable them anytime.
We use trusted tools (like email platforms and analytics) to improve performance. They collect limited, anonymized data.
You can unsubscribe, update, or delete your info at any time—just email [email protected].
This site is run under a professional pen name (Sterling Phoenix), and all communication and services come from that identity with full integrity.

We believe privacy shouldn’t be complicated. If you want the legal version, keep reading below

Full Policy

SterlingPhoenix.net (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your information—and what rights you have over it.

1. Who We Are

SterlingPhoenix.net is an educational and thought leadership website operated under the pseudonym “Sterling Phoenix.” The site is owned and managed by Karie Barrett. All communication, product delivery, and data handling occur under this brand identity.

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following types of information:

Contact information (such as your name and email address) when you sign up for newsletters, downloads, or submit forms
Demographic data you choose to provide (e.g., industry, role)
Browser and device data (via cookies or analytics tools)
Comment data, including the name, email, IP address, and browser user agent if you comment on a blog post
Media metadata if you upload images to the website (EXIF/GPS location data)

We do not knowingly collect data from children under the age of 13.

3. How and Why We Use Your Data

We use your data only when there’s a clear reason and benefit for you. These include:

To deliver emails, downloads, or course/toolkit access
To respond to contact form inquiries
To send newsletters or product updates (with your consent)
To improve website experience through analytics
To prevent spam or unauthorized access

You can opt out of emails anytime via the unsubscribe link.

4. Comments and Cookies

If you leave a comment on our site, we may store:

Your name, email, comment, and metadata
A hashed version of your email address for Gravatar image use
Cookies that remember your details for future comments

Other cookies include:

Login cookies (for contributors or future account holders)
Session cookies to manage temporary states
Analytics and tracking cookies to help us improve performance

You can disable cookies in your browser settings at any time.

5. Embedded Content from Third Parties

Posts on this site may include embedded content (e.g., videos, podcasts, articles). These behave as if you visited the third-party site directly. Such services may collect data, use cookies, and track your interactions with that content.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites.

6. Third-Party Services

We partner with secure third-party providers to deliver content and run this site, including:

Email marketing services (e.g., MailPoet or similar)
Website analytics (e.g., Google Analytics, privacy-focused alternatives)
File delivery and cloud platforms
Spam protection tools

These platforms may collect anonymized usage data or IP addresses for performance and security purposes.

7. Pseudonym Notice

Sterling Phoenix is a professional pen name. We maintain this identity to protect personal privacy while offering full transparency around content, communication, and product delivery. Legal business and financial operations are managed by Fueled by Success, LLC.

If you enter into a paid agreement with us, the business name and legal entity will be disclosed as required.

8. How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain data only as long as necessary:

Comments and metadata: indefinitely (unless deleted by you)
Newsletter or subscriber data: until you unsubscribe or request deletion
Contact messages: typically retained for one year for customer service purposes
Cookies: vary based on function (from session-only to 1 year)

You may request data deletion at any time.

9. What Rights You Have

You have the right to:

Request a copy of your personal data
Request that we update, correct, or delete your information
Withdraw consent at any time
Lodge a complaint with a data protection authority if applicable

To make a request, email: [email protected]

10. Where Your Data Is Sent

Comments may be scanned through spam detection tools
Analytics and performance data may be processed by third parties in the U.S. or globally under standard contractual safeguards

11. How We Protect Your Data

We implement reasonable technical and organizational safeguards to protect your information, including:

SSL encryption
Secure form submission
Limited internal access
Reputable platforms with data protection protocols

We never sell, rent, or share your personal data for profit.

12. Policy Updates

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect legal, technical, or business changes. When we do, we’ll update the date at the top of this page. Continued use of the site after updates constitutes acceptance.

Privacy Policy for SterlingPhoenix.net