Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026

The Lessons & The Laughter ("we", "us", "our") operates the website thelessonsandthelaughter.com and provides podcast recording and production services to help individuals capture and preserve their personal stories and life experiences (the "Services").

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose your personal information when you visit our website, make a booking, or communicate with us. It is prepared in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our Services.

If there is any conflict between this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service, this Privacy Policy controls with respect to how we collect, use, and disclose your personal information.

1. WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

When you interact with us, we may collect the following types of personal information:

  • Contact details — your name, email address, and phone number

  • Booking and payment information — session preferences, invoicing details, and payment confirmation (note: full payment card details are processed securely by our payment processor and are not stored by us)

  • Communications — any messages, emails, or enquiries you send us

  • Your stories and recordings — the personal stories, memories, and life experiences you share during your podcast session, and the resulting audio files

  • Device and usage information — your IP address, browser type, and how you navigate our website (collected automatically via cookies and analytics tools)

We only collect information that is necessary for us to provide our Services to you. We do not collect sensitive information (such as health, financial account, or government identifier information) unless you voluntarily provide it as part of your story, in which case it is used solely for the purpose of producing your recording.

2. HOW WE COLLECT YOUR INFORMATION

We collect personal information in the following ways:

  • Directly from you — when you make a booking, complete a contact form, send us an email, or participate in a session

  • Automatically — through our website via cookies, analytics tools, and standard web server logs

  • From third-party platforms — such as our booking and payment systems (e.g. Squarespace), which may collect and process information on our behalf

3. HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We use your personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected, including:

  • To confirm and manage your booking

  • To deliver your podcast session and produce your audio files

  • To send you invoices and process payments

  • To communicate with you about your session, including sending reminders and follow-up information

  • To respond to your enquiries or requests

  • To improve our website and Services

  • To comply with our legal obligations

We will only use your personal information for marketing or promotional purposes (such as sharing testimonials or case studies) if you have given us your explicit written consent. You may withdraw this consent at any time by contacting us.

We will never use your personal stories or recordings for any purpose other than producing your audio files without your explicit consent.

4. HOW WE DISCLOSE YOUR INFORMATION

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with third parties only in the following limited circumstances:

  • Service providers — third-party platforms that help us operate our business, such as Squarespace (website hosting and invoicing), scheduling tools, and file delivery services. These providers are only permitted to use your information to perform services on our behalf.

  • Legal compliance — if required by law, a court order, or government authority, we may disclose your information to comply with our legal obligations.

  • Business transfers — in the unlikely event of a sale or transfer of our business, your information may be transferred to the new owner, subject to the same privacy protections.

We will not share your recordings, stories, or personal details with any third party for commercial, marketing, or any other purpose without your explicit consent.

5. RELATIONSHIP WITH SQUARESPACE

Our website is hosted by Squarespace. As part of providing our website and invoicing services, Squarespace may collect and process certain information about your visit to our site in accordance with their own privacy policy, available at squarespace.com/privacy.

All bookings and transactions are made directly with The Lessons & The Laughter. Squarespace is a service provider only and does not control how we use your personal information.

6. YOUR RECORDINGS AND STORY

We understand that what you share with us is deeply personal. We treat your stories and recordings with the utmost care and respect.

  • Your recordings are used solely to produce and deliver your audio files to you.

  • We will not publish, share, or use your recordings for any purpose without your explicit written consent.

  • We may retain a copy of your files for a reasonable period after delivery to assist with any technical issues, but we do not store your recordings indefinitely.

  • Once you receive your files, ownership rests entirely with you.

7. COOKIES AND WEBSITE ANALYTICS

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to understand how visitors use our site and to improve your experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device.

We may use:

  • Essential cookies — necessary for the website to function

  • Analytics cookies — to understand traffic and usage patterns (e.g. via Squarespace Analytics)

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

We do not use cookies to serve third-party advertising.

8. SECURITY OF YOUR INFORMATION

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, and disclosure. This includes using secure platforms for bookings, invoicing, and file delivery.

However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. We encourage you to avoid sending sensitive information via unsecured channels such as standard email.

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm to you, we will notify you and, where required, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

9. HOW LONG WE RETAIN YOUR INFORMATION

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our Services, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Once your information is no longer needed, we will securely delete or de-identify it.

For audio files specifically, we will endeavour to retain a backup copy for 30 days following delivery, after which files may be deleted from our systems.

10. YOUR RIGHTS

Under the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), you have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you

  • Request that we correct any inaccurate or outdated information

  • Request that we delete your personal information (subject to our legal obligations)

  • Opt out of any marketing communications at any time

  • Make a complaint about how we have handled your personal information

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details at the end of this policy. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe and, where required, within 30 days.

We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights.

11. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

Our Services are intended for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a person under 18, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

12. THIRD-PARTY LINKS

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

13. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS

Some of the third-party platforms we use (such as Squarespace) may store or process data outside of Australia. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure that those third parties handle your information in a manner consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles.

14. COMPLAINTS

If you have a concern or complaint about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us in the first instance at betsy@thelessonsandthelaughter.com. We will investigate your complaint and respond within a reasonable timeframe.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

Website: oaic.gov.au

Phone: 1300 363 992

15. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices or legal requirements. The updated policy will be posted on our website with a revised "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our Services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

16. CONTACT US

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

The Lessons & The Laughter

Email: betsy@thelessonsandthelaughter.com

Website: thelessonsandthelaughter.com