Privacy Policy

• Contact info you give us. Your name, business name, role, email address, phone number, mailing or shoot location, and anything else you share when you reach out.
• Project information. Brand assets, photos, login credentials, content drafts, and business details you provide so we can do the work you hired us to do.
• SMS and chat content. The messages you send to our text number and to the on-site onboarding chatbot, plus timestamps and a session identifier.
• Payment information. When you pay us, our payment processor collects your billing details directly. We receive a transaction record (amount, date, last four digits of card) but not full card numbers.
• Site analytics. Pages visited, referring source, device type, browser, approximate location (city and region), and basic interaction events, collected through privacy-respecting analytics tools.
• Cookies and similar tech. Small files that keep the site functional and help us understand traffic patterns. See section 7.

• To respond to your inquiry and run the onboarding conversation.
• To deliver, manage, and improve the services you've hired us to do.
• To send invoices, payment receipts, contracts, and other service communications.
• To improve the site, our content, and our service offering.
• To send occasional updates if you've explicitly opted in. You can opt out anytime.
• To comply with our legal obligations and enforce our agreements.

We do not sell your personal information. We do not share it with advertisers for cross-context behavioral advertising.

When you text our business number, you're starting a conversation with Lodestar. By texting us first you opt in to receive replies and follow-ups related to your inquiry or project.

• Message and data rates may apply from your carrier.
• Message frequency varies based on the conversation.
• Reply STOP at any time to opt out. Reply HELP for help.
• Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
• We do not share your phone number or message content with third parties for marketing.

We rely on a small number of reputable providers to operate. Each processes information only as needed to deliver their service and is bound by their own security and privacy commitments.

• Hosting and infrastructure. Site hosting, database, and file storage.
• Email. Transactional and conversational email delivery.
• Analytics. Aggregated site usage metrics.
• AI provider. Powers the onboarding chatbot. Conversation content is processed to generate replies and may be retained briefly per the provider's terms.
• Payment processor. Handles card processing and stores billing details on our behalf.
• Scheduling and collaboration tools. Calendar, file sharing, and project management used during engagements.

We keep contact and conversation information for as long as it's reasonably useful to serve you or required to run the business. Typical retention windows:

• Inquiry messages and chatbot transcripts: up to 24 months.
• Active client project files: for the life of the engagement plus 12 months.
• Invoices and financial records: 7 years (tax and accounting requirements).
• Analytics: rolling 26 months, aggregated.

You can ask us to delete your personal information sooner, and we will, except where retention is legally required.

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• Know what personal information we hold about you and how we use it.
• Request a copy of that information in a portable format.
• Correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Delete your information, subject to legal exceptions.
• Restrict or object to certain uses of your information.
• Opt out of marketing communications at any time.
• Not be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights.

California residents have these rights under the CCPA and CPRA. EEA, UK, and Swiss residents have corresponding rights under the GDPR. To make a request, email ahmya@lodestarcreates.com. We will respond within 30 days.

We use the following cookie categories:

• Essential. Required for the site to load and function. Cannot be turned off.
• Analytics. Aggregated traffic measurement. No cross-site behavioral profiling.
• Preference. Remembers small choices like dismissed banners.

You can clear or block cookies via your browser settings. Some site features may not work without essential cookies. We do not use cookies for cross-site advertising tracking.

Lodestar Creative is a business-to-business service. The site, chatbot, and SMS line are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your information. This includes encryption in transit, access controls, vendor reviews, and regular review of who can access what. No system is perfectly secure. If we ever learn of a breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and any applicable regulators within the timeframes required by law (typically within 72 hours of discovery for jurisdictions that require it).

We are based in the United States and our providers may process data in the United States and other countries. Where required, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent safeguards for international transfers of personal information.

If we update this policy, we'll post the new version here and update the "last updated" date above. Material changes will be flagged at the top of this page and, where appropriate, communicated by email or text to active clients.

Questions about this policy or your data? Email ahmya@lodestarcreates.com or text us. We answer Monday to Friday, 11a to 6p Central.