STEELE SHARPENS STEELE LLC Privacy Notice

STEELE SHARPENS STEELE LLC, a Florida limited liability company ("we," "us," or "our"), values the privacy of individuals who use our website and related services (collectively, the "Services"). This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, and share personal information of users of our Services ("users," "you," or "your"). By using our Services, you agree to the collection, use, disclosure, and processing of your information as described in this Privacy Notice.

Personal information is information that identifies or could be used to identify a specific person. It does not include deidentified or aggregated information.

Information We Collect

Account and Member Information

When you create an account or complete your member profile, we collect information you provide, which may include:

Name and email address
Email verification status
Military branch, rank, and years served
Other profile information you voluntarily supply (such as city, state, deployments, bio, and goals)

Member Connect

When you use Member Connect, we collect and store:

Connection requests, acceptances, blocks, and reports
Direct messages between connected members
Directory profile information you choose to provide (opt-in)
Notification preferences

Member directory participation is opt-in. You control whether your profile appears in the Member Connect directory through your account settings.

Messages are stored and are not end-to-end encrypted. Authorized S3 administrators may review reported messages and communications to enforce the Code of Conduct and these Terms. Blocking and reporting records may be retained to protect platform integrity.

Member Connect is not continuously monitored and is not an emergency service.

Sharpening Session Data

When you reserve, attend, or cancel a Sharpening Session, we collect:

Reservation and cancellation records
Session history and attendance where recorded
Zoom access information provided to confirmed reservation holders

Contact Form

When you submit our contact form, we collect:

Name
Email address
Subject
Message content

Open Forum Guest Participation

Open Forum is open to the public. You do not need to register on this website or submit your name or email address to use its public Zoom join link. The link takes you to Zoom, where Zoom's privacy practices apply. The website's general privacy disclosures also apply when you visit the Open Forum page.

A registration form previously available on this website collected first name, email address, and the date of the forum session from individuals who chose to submit it. That form is no longer presented to visitors. A legacy submission endpoint remains available on the platform; any submission made through it collects the same three fields — first name, email address, and session date — for the same original purpose of enabling a one-time follow-up communication after the session.

Records collected through the former form or legacy endpoint are retained for 90 days from the date of the session and then permanently deleted. Automated guest follow-up email is currently disabled. We do not add guest participants to any mailing list or marketing sequence.

Contribution Information

When you make a voluntary contribution through our platform, we (or our payment processor, Stripe) collect:

Contribution amount and currency
Payment status
Stripe transaction and session identifiers
Contributor name and email address, when supplied

We do not store raw credit card numbers, expiration dates, or CVCs. Payment card data is handled directly by Stripe.

Technical and Authentication Data

When you use our Services, we may automatically collect:

IP address
Web browser type and user agent
Authentication and session cookie
Session timestamps and login activity

Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use session and persistent cookies to maintain your authenticated session and support the operation of our Services. A session cookie disappears when you close your browser. A persistent cookie remains and may be used on subsequent visits. You can manage cookies through your browser settings.

How We Use the Information We Collect

We use the information we collect to:

Create and maintain your account and member profile
Facilitate Sharpening Session reservations and provide Zoom access to confirmed participants
Process voluntary contributions through Stripe
Respond to contact form inquiries
Communicate with you about your account, reservations, and our Services
Detect and prevent fraud and unauthorized access
Comply with applicable laws and legal process
Enforce our Terms of Use and other legal rights

How We Share the Information We Collect

Service Providers

We share information with service providers that help us operate our Services. Current service providers include:

Website Hosting — website hosting and infrastructure
Stripe — contribution and payment processing. Stripe's privacy practices are described at stripe.com/privacy.
Zoom — virtual Sharpening Sessions. Zoom's privacy practices are described at zoom.us/privacy.

Legal Disclosures

We may disclose your information if we believe doing so is required or appropriate to: (a) comply with law enforcement requests and legal process, such as a court order or subpoena; (b) respond to your requests; or (c) protect your, our, or others' rights, property, or safety.

Business Transfers

We may transfer your information in connection with a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or similar corporate transaction. Use of your information following any such event will be governed by the same general provisions of this Privacy Notice.

With Your Consent

We may also share your information with your permission.

Third-Party Links

Our Services may contain links to third-party websites or services we do not own or operate, including Amazon for book purchases. This Privacy Notice does not apply to those third-party services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any information to them.

Security

We use reasonable administrative and technical safeguards designed to protect the information we maintain. No information system can be 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information.

Children's Privacy

The Services are intended for individuals who are at least 18 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18.

If you believe an individual under 18 has provided us with information in violation of this Privacy Notice, please contact us at info@steelesharpenssteele.com.

International Access

Our Services are hosted in the United States and are intended for use by individuals located within the United States. If you access our Services from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States.

Changes to This Privacy Notice

We will post any updates to this Privacy Notice on this page. The revised version will be effective when posted. We encourage you to review this Privacy Notice periodically.

Your Choices

Delete Your Account

Members and S3 mobile app users may request deletion of their account and associated personal data at any time. Visit our Delete Your Account page for full instructions. You do not need to be signed in to submit a request.

Communications

You may receive account-related, service, or session communications from us as necessary to operate your account and deliver our Services. Administrative communications necessary to service your account are not subject to opt-out. This does not override your right to opt out of SMS messages — text STOP at any time to stop receiving text messages regardless of any other communication preference.

Cookies

You can manage or delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect your ability to log in or use certain features of our Services.

Contact Us

Questions, comments, or requests regarding this Privacy Notice should be directed to:

STEELE SHARPENS STEELE LLC info@steelesharpenssteele.com

To request deletion of your account and personal data, please visit steelesharpenssteele.com/delete-account or email info@steelesharpenssteele.com with the subject "Account Deletion Request."

STEELE SHARPENS STEELE LLC Messaging Terms and Conditions

Data Sharing

Customer data is not shared with third parties for promotional or marketing purposes.

Mobile opt-in and consent are never shared with anyone for any purpose. Any information sharing that may be mentioned elsewhere in this policy excludes mobile opt-in data.

Messaging Terms

The messaging program consists of general conversational messaging to answer questions and provide support to customers. It is limited to one-to-one replies to inquiries. We do not send SMS marketing, announcements, or session reminders.
You can cancel SMS service at any time by texting STOP to the number from which you received messages. After you send STOP, you will receive an unsubscribe confirmation and no further messages. To rejoin, text START to (833) 778-3353.
For assistance, reply HELP or email david@steelesharpenssteele.com.
Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
Message and data rates may apply to messages sent to you and from you. Message frequency varies based on communication needs. Contact your wireless provider with questions about your text or data plan.
For privacy information, please read the rest of this policy.

Last updated: October 13, 2026