Privacy Policy

The short version

I'm a solo AI consultant. This site collects only the information you choose to send me through the contact and booking forms, and I use it only to respond to you and deliver the services you ask about. I don't sell your information. I don't run ad-tracking pixels. If you ever want your information deleted, email me and it's done.

Who runs this site

This site (stephenthorn.com) is operated by Stephen Thorn through Stephen Thorn, LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company based in Pittsboro, North Carolina. You can reach me at stephen@stephenthorn.com for any privacy question or request.

What I collect

• Information you submit in forms. The contact form and the booking form ask for things like your name, email address, organization, audience type, and a short description of what you're looking for. You provide this voluntarily.
• Calendar bookings. If you schedule a call, you provide your name, email, and any details you add when booking.
• Chat assistant conversations. This site has an assistant you can ask questions. What you type and what it answers are stored so I can see what people are asking and follow up if you want me to. After a couple of exchanges it may offer to take your email address. That is optional, and the conversation works the same if you skip it. Do not enter passwords, payment details, or anything confidential.
• Basic technical data. Like most websites, my hosting and content-delivery providers may automatically log standard technical information (such as IP address, browser type, and pages visited) for security and performance. This is not used to personally profile you.

How I use it

• To respond to your message or inquiry.
• To prepare for and schedule a call you requested.
• To deliver the training or advisory services you ask about.
• To keep the site secure and working.

I do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to anyone.

Third-party services I use

To run the site and respond to you, I rely on a few reputable third-party services. When you use a form or link that involves one, your information is handled under that provider's own privacy policy:

• Google Workspace (Gmail & Sheets) - contact form submissions are emailed to me and recorded in a private spreadsheet I use to keep track of who has reached out. The form itself runs on my own self-hosted automation server rather than a third-party form service.
• Cloudflare - routes contact form submissions to that server, filters abusive traffic, and runs the chat assistant, including where its conversation records are stored.
• OpenAI - generates the chat assistant's replies. What you type in the chat is sent to OpenAI to produce an answer.
• xAI - runs Carina, the AI phone assistant that answers +1 (984) 336-3091. If you call that number, what you say is processed by xAI to hold the call. If you left a phone number in the web chat first, that earlier chat may be passed to Carina so she has the context.
• Twilio - provides the phone number and delivers text messages on my behalf.
• Calendly - schedules calls when you book a time.
• Hosting & CDN (Amazon Web Services / CloudFront) - serves the site and keeps standard server logs.

The site also links out to platforms like LinkedIn, GitHub, and the App Store. Once you leave this site, those platforms' privacy policies apply.

Cookies and tracking

This site does not set advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. Embedded third-party tools (such as a Calendly scheduler, or a course video from YouTube, which loads only when you press play and uses YouTube's privacy-enhanced mode) may set their own cookies when you interact with them, governed by their policies. Visits are counted with Plausible, which I host myself: it sets no cookies and records only aggregate numbers, such as which pages are read and which links are clicked, never who you are.

Text messages (SMS)

The contact form has an optional phone field with a separate, unticked consent box. If you tick it, you are agreeing to receive text messages from me about the inquiry you submitted. Leaving it blank changes nothing else about your inquiry, and I will not text you without it.

Mobile phone numbers and SMS consent are never sold, rented, or shared with third parties or affiliates for their own marketing purposes. Numbers are shared only with the messaging provider that delivers the message on my behalf, and only for that purpose.

Message and data rates may apply, and message frequency varies. Reply STOP to any message to opt out, or HELP for help. Opting out of texts does not stop me replying by email.

How long I keep it

I keep inquiry and client information only as long as needed to respond to you, deliver a service, and meet ordinary business and tax record-keeping needs. You can ask me to delete your information at any time.

Chat conversations. If you did not leave an email address, the conversation is deleted automatically after 90 days. If you did leave one, I keep the conversation so I can follow up and so I have context if we end up working together, and it falls under the same rule as any other inquiry above. Either way, you can ask me to delete it sooner.

Your choices and rights

• Ask me what information I hold about you.
• Ask me to correct or delete it.
• Ask me to stop contacting you.

To make any of these requests, email stephen@stephenthorn.com. I'll handle it promptly.

Children

This site and its services are intended for businesses, institutions, and adults. It is not directed to children under 13, and I do not knowingly collect their information.

Changes

If this policy changes, I'll update the date at the top of this page. Material changes will be reflected here before they take effect.

This is a plain-English privacy policy provided in good faith. It is not legal advice. If you have specific compliance requirements (for example, government procurement or regulated-data obligations), let's discuss them directly.