Effective October 21, 2026.
Hi there, it's Andrew. If you're like me, you care about the privacy of your personal data. So here, in plain words, is everything this website collects, who handles it, and how to have it removed. If anything here is unclear, just ask.
The short version
- We collect only what you choose to send us: through a form here (to contact us, join the newsletter, or leave a review), or by emailing us.
- No analytics and no advertising trackers. Our pages set no cookies and run no scripts. The podcast and video players on some pages come from Podbean and YouTube and follow their own policies (see below).
- We never sell, rent, or trade your information, and we don't share it for advertising.
- Email us any time to see, correct, or delete what we have about you.
What we collect
Each form collects exactly this, and nothing else:
- Contact form
- your name, your email address and your message
- Newsletter form
- your first name, your last name (optional) and your email address
- Review form
- your name, your email address, a star rating and your message
- Unsubscribe form
- your email address
Like every website, our host also receives the technical details your browser sends with each request (your IP address, browser type, and the page you asked for). We don't use these to identify you.
How we use it
- Messages: to read and reply to you.
- Newsletter: to send you the newsletter until you unsubscribe, which you can do any time on our unsubscribe page.
- Reviews: with your permission, given on the review form, we may publish your first name, last initial, star rating, and review on this site and in other things The Whole Steward produces. We never publish your email address or full last name. We publish honest reviews whether positive or negative; the rules for removing a review are in our Terms.
Who handles it
These are all the services we use to run the site:
- Cloudflare
- Hosts this website, runs its forms, checks that form submissions come from a person rather than a bot (Turnstile), and routes email sent to our @thewholesteward.com addresses. It sees your IP address and the pages you request, like any web host; anything you submit through a form; on form pages, browser signals the Turnstile check reads (no cookies for tracking); email you send us. Privacy policy
- Brevo
- Delivers form submissions to our inbox, sends our email replies, and keeps the newsletter list. It sees what you type into a form; our replies to you; newsletter subscribers' name and email address. Privacy policy
- Google (Gmail)
- Our email inbox — form submissions and email to us end up there. It sees what you send us. Privacy policy
- Podbean
- The podcast player on episode pages. It sees your IP address and browser details when a page with a player opens, and what you play. Privacy policy
- YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode)
- Video players on some pages. It sees your IP address and browser details when a page with a video opens; YouTube says this mode doesn't use your viewing to personalize ads until you press play, though it may still store some data in your browser. Privacy policy
The podcast and video players load from Podbean and YouTube when you open a page that has one, and they bring in their own audio, video and images from servers those companies run. Those players may set their own cookies or similar storage and, like most online services, may recognize your browser across other sites that use them. We don't control that and get nothing from it. If you'd rather avoid it, listen on your podcast app instead; see Subscribe.
We may also disclose information if the law requires it.
How long we keep it
Messages and reviews stay in our email for as long as they're useful to us. Newsletter subscribers stay on the list until they unsubscribe. Our host's technical logs are kept under Cloudflare's own policy.
Your choices
Email [email protected] to see what we have about you, correct it, or have it deleted, and we'll take care of it promptly, normally within 30 days. You don't need to give a reason, and we won't treat you differently for asking. Our site works the same whether or not your browser sends "Do Not Track" or Global Privacy Control, because it doesn't track you either way. The embedded Podbean and YouTube players handle those signals under their own policies.
Children
This site isn't directed to children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their information. If you believe a child has sent us something, email us and we'll delete it.
Other websites
We link to other sites, such as guests' websites and podcast apps. Their privacy practices are their own, so check their policies.
Changes
If we change how we handle information, we'll update this page and the date at the top. If a change affects information you've already given us, we'll email you before it takes effect.
Who we are
The Whole Steward is run by Andrew and Anna-Leah Stanton in San Diego County, California. Questions: [email protected] or our contact page.