Privacy Policy

01

Scope of This Policy

This privacy policy describes the processing of information provided or collected on the sites and applications where this privacy policy is posted, including creatingourownlight.com and any associated digital properties operated by Creating Our Own Light. It also describes the processing of information provided to us offline at events, speaking engagements, or through direct communication.

We follow this privacy policy in accordance with applicable law in the places where we operate. Please keep in mind that our site may contain links to other sites not owned or controlled by us, and we are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to be aware when you leave our site and to read the privacy policies of other sites that may collect your personal information.

02

Who We Are

When you visit, shop, or interact with our site, your information is controlled by Creating Our Own Light, the organization supporting the work of Dr. Julie McDonnell, award-winning children’s author and certified EME Life Coach. Our website address is https://creatingourownlight.com.

03

Types of Information We Collect

We collect two basic types of information: personal information (information that identifies you as an individual) and anonymous information (information that does not identify you). In particular, we collect:

• Contact Information: Information you provide when you fill out forms, request author visits, or subscribe to our newsletter — such as your first and last name, email address, phone number, and organization details.
• Transaction Information: Information you provide when you purchase a book, request a bulk order, or register for an event — such as your postal address and payment information.
• Communications: Information you send us directly through our contact forms, email, or phone, including the content of your messages and any attachments.
• Technical Data: Usage, viewing, technical, and device data when you visit our site or open emails we send — including your browser or device type, unique device identifier, and IP address.
• Comments: When visitors leave comments on the site, we collect the data shown in the comments form, the visitor’s IP address, and browser user agent string to help with spam detection.

04

How We Collect Your Information

We collect information you provide to us when you request products, services, or information from us; register for newsletters or events; participate in public forums or other activities on our site; respond to surveys; or otherwise interact with us.

We also collect information through a variety of technologies, such as cookies, pixels, tags, and web beacons, when you visit our site. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of our site may become inaccessible or not function properly.

We may acquire information from other trusted sources — such as email marketing platforms or analytics providers — to update or supplement the information you provided or we collected automatically.

05

Use of Your Information

Consistent with applicable law and choices and controls that may be available to you, we may use information collected from you to:

• Provide you with the experiences, products, and services you request, view, engage with, or purchase.
• Communicate with you about your transactions with us and send you information or request feedback about our site and offerings.
• Send you offers, newsletters, and promotions for our books, author visits, and community events.
• Personalize your experience and deliver content most relevant to your interests.
• Operate, understand, optimize, develop, or improve our site, products, and services, including by using analytics tools.
• Detect, investigate, and prevent activities that may violate our policies, pose safety issues, or be fraudulent or illegal.

06

Sharing Your Information

We will not share your personal information with a third party outside of Creating Our Own Light except in limited circumstances, including:

• When you allow us to share your personal information with another company.
• When you direct us to share your personal information with third-party sites or platforms, such as social networking sites.
• When we work with service providers performing services on our behalf — such as payment processors, email marketing platforms (including Mailchimp), or website hosts. These companies are prohibited from using your personal information for purposes other than those requested by us or required by law.
• When we share your personal information to enforce our Terms of Use, to ensure the safety and security of our visitors and third parties, to protect our rights and property, to comply with legal process, or in other cases if we believe in good faith that disclosure is required by law.

07

Your Controls and Choices

We provide you the ability to exercise certain controls and choices regarding our collection, use, and sharing of your information. In accordance with applicable law, your controls and choices may include:

Please be aware that if you do not allow us to collect personal information from you, we may not be able to deliver certain experiences, products, and services to you.

08

Children’s Privacy

We recognize the need to provide further privacy protections with respect to personal information we may collect from children. Our site is intended for a general audience and is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information from our servers promptly. If you believe we may have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

09

Data Security, Integrity, and Retention

The security, integrity, and confidentiality of your information are extremely important to us. We have implemented technical, administrative, and physical security measures that are designed to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, use, and modification. We regularly review our security procedures to consider appropriate new technology and methods.

Please be aware that, despite our best efforts, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable. We will retain your personal information for the length of time needed to fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy policy unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

10

US Residents’ Rights

If you are a US resident, depending on where you live, you may have certain rights with respect to your personal information, which include the right not to be discriminated against for exercising your rights. Subject to applicable law and exceptions, you may have the right to:

• Request to know about and obtain access to the personal information we have collected about you.
• Request that we delete the personal information we have collected about you, subject to applicable legal exceptions.
• Request to update or correct your personal information.
• Request to opt out of targeted advertising and/or the sale or sharing of your personal information.
• Request that we restrict our use of your personal information.
• Exercise such other rights and choices as may be afforded to you under applicable US state privacy laws and regulations.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in the Contact Us section below. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable law.

11

Changes to This Privacy Policy

From time to time, we may change this privacy policy to accommodate new technologies, industry practices, regulatory requirements, or for other purposes. We will provide notice to you if these changes are material and, where required by applicable law, we will obtain your consent. Notice may be by email to the last email address you provided us, by posting notice of such changes on our site, or by other means consistent with applicable law.

We encourage you to periodically review this page for the latest information on our privacy practices. Your continued use of our site following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of such changes.