Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 2026
Your privacy matters to me. This policy explains what personal information I collect when you visit my website, get in touch, or work with me as a coaching client, what I do with it, and the choices and rights you have.
1. Who I am
I’m Georgina Sears, trading as Georgie Sears. I’m a sole trader and the “data controller” for the personal information described in this policy, which means I decide how and why it’s used.
Email for anything privacy-related: georgie@georgiesears.com
ICO registration number: ZA773992
I’m the only person who handles your information.
2. The short version
- I only collect what I need to reply to you, coach you, take payment and run my business.
- I never sell your information.
- I don’t use your information for automated decision-making or profiling.
- Anything you tell me in coaching stays confidential, apart from the few exceptions in section 7.
- You can ask to see, correct or delete your information at any time.
3. What I collect, why, and how long I keep it
What I collect | Why I collect it | Legal basis (UK GDPR) | How long I keep it |
Enquiries: name, email, phone number and message, sent via my contact form, email or phone. Messages sent through my website form are also stored on my website. | To reply and talk about working together | Legitimate interests (answering your enquiry) | 12 months after our last contact, unless you become a client |
Booking an intro call through Microsoft Bookings: name, email, phone number and anything you add when booking | To arrange and hold our call | Steps taken at your request before entering a contract | 12 months after the call, unless you become a client |
Founders & Leaders community – registering interest: name and email address, sent via the form on my website | To tell you about the community as it develops | Your consent | Until you ask me to remove you, or the community launches and you decide not to join |
Client intake form: name, address, contact details, and the name and phone number of an emergency contact | To set up our coaching and keep you safe if you become unwell during a session | Contract. For your emergency contact: vital interests and legitimate interests | 6 months after our coaching ends |
Coaching notes (paper and Microsoft 365): what we discuss, your goals and progress | To deliver coaching tailored to you | Contract. Any sensitive information you share is covered in section 4 | 6 months after our coaching ends |
Session recordings (occasional, via Microsoft Teams) | For my own professional development and supervision | Your consent, which I ask for before each recording | Deleted within 30 days of the session |
Payments and invoices: name, billing details and transaction records. Card details are handled by Stripe or PayPal and I never see your full card number | To take payment, keep accounts and meet tax obligations | Contract and legal obligation | 6 years (required for tax and accounting) |
Newsletter: name, email address, and whether you open or click my emails. You can sign up through the form on my website or directly with Mailchimp | To send you my newsletter | Your consent | Until you unsubscribe. I then keep a minimal record so I don’t email you again |
Website analytics: IP address, device and browser type, pages visited | To understand how people use my site and improve it | Your consent, given through the cookie banner | Up to 14 months |
Cookie choices: a record of whether you accepted or rejected cookies | To respect your choice and show I have your consent | Legal obligation | 12 months |
Testimonials: your name, job title, organisation and your words | To show what working with me is like | Your consent | Until you ask me to remove it |
Privacy requests and complaints | To handle your request and keep a record of it | Legal obligation and legitimate interests | 6 years |
I’ll also keep any information I’m legally required to keep for longer, or need to keep to deal with a legal claim.
4. Sensitive information
I don’t ask clients for health information. Because coaching is personal, though, you may choose to tell me things like being neurodivergent, health conditions or other private matters. This is called “special category data” under the law and gets extra protection.
If you share it, I’ll only note what’s useful for your coaching, and I’ll only do so with your explicit consent, which I’ll ask for when you start working with me. You can tell me at any point that you’d rather I didn’t record something, and you can withdraw your consent whenever you like. Withdrawing doesn’t affect anything I did before you withdrew it.
5. Session recordings
I occasionally record sessions on Microsoft Teams for my own development or supervision. I will always ask you first, and saying no has no effect on our work together. Recordings are stored securely in my Microsoft 365 account, only shared with my supervisor if you’ve agreed, and deleted within 30 days.
6. Cookies
Cookies are small files saved on your device when you visit a website. My website uses two kinds.
Necessary cookies. These are always on, because the site needs them to work. They don’t track you.
Analytics cookies. Google Analytics counts visits and shows me which pages are useful. These cookies are only set if you click Accept in the cookie banner. IIf you reject them or ignore the banner, no analytics cookies are set. Google may receive a basic, anonymous signal that a page was viewed, but nothing that identifies you or your device.
Cookie | Set by | What it does | How long it lasts | Type |
cookieyes-consent | CookieYes | Remembers your cookie choice, so the banner doesn’t keep appearing | 12 months | Necessary |
_ga | Google Analytics | Tells visits apart, so I can count visitors | Up to 13 months | Analytics (only with your consent) |
_ga_[ID] | Google Analytics | Keeps track of a visit across pages | Up to 13 months | Analytics (only with your consent) |
Changing your mind.
You can change your choice at any time using the cookie settings link at the bottom of every page. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings.
I don’t use advertising or retargeting cookies, and I don’t embed third-party content such as social feeds or videos.
When you click to book a call, buy a ticket or follow me on social media, you leave my website. Microsoft, Eventbrite and the social media sites may set their own cookies. Please see their policies.
7. Confidentiality and its limits
What you share in coaching is confidential. I’ll only share it without your permission if the law requires me to, or if I believe someone is at serious risk of harm and I need to act to protect them. If that ever happens, I’ll only share what’s necessary and, where I can, I’ll tell you first.
8. Who I share your information with
I use trusted providers to run my business. They only handle your information to provide their service to me.
- Microsoft (Microsoft 365, Teams and Bookings): email, notes, files, video sessions and booking intro calls
- Mailchimp (Intuit): sending my newsletter, and the newsletter and register-interest sign-ups from my website
- Brevo: sending emails from my website, such as form notifications
- WPForms: the contact and register-interest forms on my website. Form entries are stored on my website
- CookieYes: the cookie banner on my website, which records your cookie choice
- Stripe and PayPal: taking payments
- QuickBooks (Intuit): accounting and invoicing
- Google: website analytics, and occasionally Google Workspace, Meet and Drive
- JustHostMe and WordPress: running and storing my website
- Eventbrite: if you book a ticket for Spoken Word at The Loft, Eventbrite handles your booking. They’re a separate controller, so please see their privacy policy for how they use your information
- Life Coach Directory: if you contact me through my directory listing, they pass your enquiry on to me. They’re a separate controller, so please see their privacy policy for how they use your information
I may also share information with my accountant, insurer, professional body or the authorities if I have to by law. I never sell your information or share it for other people’s marketing.
9. Transfers outside the UK and Europe
Some of these providers are based in, or store data in, countries outside the UK and European Economic Area, including the United States. Where that happens, I make sure your information is protected, for example because the provider is certified under the UK-US Data Bridge, or because they use approved standard contractual clauses (the UK’s International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum). You can ask me for more detail at georgie@georgiesears.com.
10. How I keep your information safe
Paper notes are kept in locked storage. Digital information is held in password-protected accounts, with extra security such as two-step verification where it’s available. Only I can access it.
11. Your rights
You have the right to:
- Be informed about how your information is used (this policy)
- Access a copy of the information I hold about you
- Correct anything that’s wrong or incomplete
- Erase your information, in many situations
- Restrict how I use it
- Object to me using it for legitimate interests
- Data portability, meaning you can ask for your information in a portable format, where it applies
- Withdraw consent at any time, for anything I do based on your consent (including unsubscribing from the newsletter with the link in every email, or changing your cookie choice)
To use any of these rights, email georgie@georgiesears.com. I’ll reply within one month and won’t normally charge a fee. I may need to check your identity first.
12. Complaints
If you’re unhappy with how I’ve handled your information, please tell me first so I can put it right. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
- Website: ico.org.uk
- Helpline: 0303 123 1113
If you live in the EU, you can also contact your local data protection authority.
13. Children
My services are for adults only (18 and over). I don’t knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you think I have, please email me and I’ll delete it.
14. Visitors from outside the UK
I’m based in the UK, and I handle your information in line with UK data protection law (UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018). I apply the same standards to visitors and clients in the EU and elsewhere.
15. Links to other sites
My site may link to other websites. I’m not responsible for their privacy practices, so please read their policies.
16. Changes to this policy
I’ll update this policy if what I do changes, and I’ll change the “last updated” date at the top. If I make a significant change, I’ll let you know by email or on the website.
17. Contact
Questions about this policy or your information? Email georgie@georgiesears.com.
