1. Introduction
I’ve always aimed to be transparent about how I collect and use my customers’ and subscribers’ information. (Thank you for joining me, by the way!) This page gives you all the information you should need, and then some.
The essentials
- I do not sell or share your information. The only organizations with access to it are the essential service providers who help me run my business, this website, and my products. Their access is limited to storing and processing data on my behalf.
- To give you the level of customer service I’d expect to receive, I keep most of the information I collect indefinitely. That way, if you contact me today, next week, or in ten years, I’ll know what you’ve purchased and what we’ve talked about.
- I will be open and honest with you about what information I collect, what I use it for, and who has access to it.
- Keeping my website and business records secure is vital to me and to keeping your trust. That’s why I invest in premium security products.
If you have questions about this policy or my use of your information, or you want to see, change, download, or delete information I hold about you, please visit my Manage My Data page.
2. Who I Am
The Blue Bottle Tree is a trading name (a “DBA”) of Davis-Allman, LLC, a limited liability company registered in the State of Missouri, USA. Davis-Allman, LLC is co-owned by Ginger Davis Allman and Gary Allman. The Blue Bottle Tree is managed by Ginger Davis Allman, who acts as the Data Controller for the purposes of the GDPR.
Address
The Blue Bottle Tree Davis-Allman, LLC 610-A E. Battlefield #102 Springfield, MO 65807 USA
3. GDPR Compliance Statement
We (I’m good, but I couldn’t do all this on my own!) have performed a data and data processing audit. We poked around under the hood, checked the oil, kicked the tires, and then looked hard at how I collect and use the data I hold about my customers and subscribers. Where necessary, we documented, amended, and improved my data collection, processing, retention, management, and security practices in line with the GDPR. This was done in a way appropriate to the size and resources of the business, and I review it whenever my systems change.
In plain language, The Blue Bottle Tree is a family-run business, and we’ve done what a business our size needs to do to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation.
4. Why I’m Allowed to Use Your Data
Privacy law requires me to tell you the legal basis for using your information. Here’s the short version.
- Your consent. When you sign up for my emails, I use your information because you asked me to. You can withdraw that consent at any time by unsubscribing.
- To fulfill a purchase or membership. When you buy a tutorial or join Insiders, I need your information to deliver what you paid for and to help you with it afterward.
- Legitimate business interests. I use some information to keep my website secure, block spam and hackers, understand how the site is used, and answer your questions.
- Legal obligations. I keep sales records as tax law requires, and I respond to lawful requests from authorities.
5. Your Data
If you visit The Blue Bottle Tree
My server records the site you came from if you followed a link, the time, your IP address, country, browser, operating system, and where you go next. I use this only on rare occasions for diagnostic or security purposes, when I’m trying to track down the cause of a problem. Server logs are deleted every month.
My website security software also monitors your IP address and country of origin. Only the last 2,000 records are kept, so they get purged very quickly. That is, unless you try to hack into my website. (Where’s the finger-wagging emoji when you need it?) In that case, your information is recorded so the security software can watch for you and block you if you are very naughty.
I use Fathom Analytics to understand how people use The Blue Bottle Tree. I chose Fathom deliberately because it doesn’t use cookies, doesn’t track you across other websites, and anonymizes the data it collects.
In plain language, software keeps an eye on what’s happening on my site and on basic information about your location and device. This helps me improve the site and protect it from hackers and malware. Detailed records are deleted regularly, and the analytics I see are anonymous, so I have no idea who you are.
If you comment on an article
I store the name and email address you supply and the IP address you used when you commented. This lets me reply to you personally if needed and helps me block people trying to break into the site or spread malware. It also helps if someone gets out of line and needs a talking to. Comments are checked for spam automatically. This information is kept indefinitely. See also Cookies, below.
Remember that my Terms and Conditions give me permission to use comments you submit on this website and elsewhere.
In plain language, don’t expect to hide behind a cloak of anonymity if you leave a comment.
If you buy a tutorial or guide
My tutorials and guides are sold through Payhip, which handles checkout, payment, and sales tax or VAT. Payhip collects your payment details, and I never see them. I receive your name, email address, and order details, including what you bought, what you paid, and how many times you’ve downloaded your files. I use this to make sure your order was delivered and to help you if you have problems.
At checkout, you can choose to join my email list by ticking a box. If you don’t, you won’t be added. If you do, see “If you sign up to receive email updates,” below.
Payhip’s handling of your information is covered by Payhip’s own privacy policy.
If you bought a tutorial from me before January 1, 2026, I still keep a record of that order so I can help you if you contact me.
In plain language, I only keep what I need to confirm your order and help you with it later. Your payment details stay between you and Payhip.
If you join Insiders
Insiders memberships are sold through my website. When you join, I receive your name, email address, and order details. Payment is handled by Stripe or PayPal, whichever you choose. I never see your full payment details. If you have a question about a payment, contact the provider you used.
If you pay with PayPal, PayPal may collect the personal data you provide, such as payment and other identifying information. PayPal uses this information to operate and improve its services, including for fraud detection, loss prevention, authentication, analytics about its services, and meeting legal requirements. PayPal’s processing of your information is covered by the PayPal Privacy Statement.
The Insiders community itself is hosted on a separate platform and uses a separate email system (so I don’t keep all my email eggs in one basket). Insiders is a full online community. I hold your name and email address, along with the text, images, video, and documents you share as a member. Community events run on Zoom, and some sessions are booked through SavvyCal, which collects your name, email address, and the time you choose.
Content you share in Insiders is covered by the Insiders Terms and Conditions.
If you sign up to receive email updates
You’ll be added to my email list, which is held and managed by MailerLite. Every sign-up uses double opt-in, which means you confirm your subscription by clicking a link in an email before you’re added. If you join by ticking the box at checkout or by saying yes in an Instagram or Facebook message, you’re added right away.
My emails include “beacons,” tiny image files that let me see whether an email was opened. This helps me see how well my emails are read and keep my list a manageable size.
Sending email costs money, and the more people I send to, the more it costs. So every now and then I send a reminder to people who haven’t been opening my emails, and I keep only those who ask to stay on the list.
If you interact with me on social media
I use ManyChat to answer some comments and direct messages on Instagram and Facebook automatically. ManyChat stores your social media name and profile, your messages with my account, and your email address if you choose to give it.
If you fill out a form
Some of my forms, such as question submissions for live events, run on Tally. Tally stores whatever you enter in the form.
My contact and inquiry forms run on ClickUp. Your inquiry, name, email address, and any files you send are saved in ClickUp indefinitely, so I can look back at earlier conversations when you contact me again.
If you email me
I keep your email address and our correspondence indefinitely, so I can remind myself of earlier conversations when you contact me again.
If you leave a review or testimonial
I keep your name, email address, IP address, and your review or testimonial, including any text, video, or images you submit, indefinitely. Testimonials are collected through ClickUp forms and stored and displayed using Senja. Remember that my Terms and Conditions give me permission to use reviews and testimonials you submit on this website and elsewhere.
6. Who Has Access to Your Information
First off, to be very clear, I don’t sell your information or share it with anyone for their own use. I do rely on a number of service providers who help me process, manage, store, respond to, and most importantly, protect your information. Some are based outside your country, including in the United States and the European Union. I choose providers that commit to appropriate data protection standards.
Running the website
- Dropbox Inc., United States. Website and database backup storage.
- Defiant Inc., United States. Website security, intrusion prevention, and malware scans.
- Automattic Inc., United States. Additional website security and comment spam filtering.
- Fathom Analytics. Anonymous data about which pages are visited and visitors’ countries.
- Time Capsule, Revmakx LLC, United States. Website backup.
- WPX Hosting, K Media Tech, LLC, Bulgaria. Website hosting and backup.
Tutorial purchases
- Payhip. Checkout, payment processing, sales tax and VAT, and file delivery.
- MailerLite, Lithuania. Email list, only if you choose to join at checkout.
Insiders memberships
- Stripe, United States. Payment processing.
- PayPal, United States. Payment processing.
- Circle.so. Online community platform. Privacy Policy
- Mailchimp, Intuit Inc., United States. The Insiders mailing list. Privacy Policy
- Zoom. Video conferencing. Privacy Policy
- SavvyCal. Session booking.
- Zapier. Data transfer and automation between the tools above. Privacy Policy
Email updates
- MailerLite, Lithuania. Email and marketing. MailerLite keeps your name, email address, email preferences, the emails you’ve been sent, and whether you opened them. Your information is kept after you unsubscribe, mainly so there’s a record of your request to stop receiving emails. It also means your details are on hand if you ever sign up again.
Social media, forms, and questions
- ManyChat. Automated replies to Instagram and Facebook comments and messages.
- Tally. Online forms.
- ClickUp. Inquiry and testimonial forms, and task management. Privacy Policy
- Microsoft, United States. Email service. Privacy Policy
Reviews and testimonials
- ClickUp. Review and testimonial forms. Privacy Policy
- Senja. Storing, organizing, and displaying testimonials. Privacy Policy
- Zapier. Data transfer and automation. Privacy Policy
General business
- Microsoft Inc., United States. Cloud data storage.
- Dropbox Inc., United States. Cloud data storage.
- QuickBooks, Intuit Inc., United States. Business accounting. Holds your name, email address, and order details.
7. Requests from Authorities
I will comply with genuine requests for information from law enforcement and government agencies when the laws of the State of Missouri or the United States require me to.
8. Cookies
A cookie is a small text file that a website stores on your computer or phone. Cookies let a website remember your actions or preferences, or help the site work properly. They can be set by the website owner or by third-party services the site uses.
If you leave a comment, you can choose to save your name, email address, and website in cookies. This is for your convenience, so you don’t have to fill in your details again next time. These cookies last one year.
If you have an account and log in to this site, a temporary cookie is set to check whether your browser accepts cookies. It contains no personal data and is deleted when you close your browser.
When you log in, several more cookies save your login information and screen display choices. Login cookies last two days, and screen options cookies last a year. If you select “Remember Me,” your login lasts two weeks. If you log out, the login cookies are removed.
When you join Insiders through my website, the checkout uses cookies to keep track of your cart. Stripe, my payment processor, also sets cookies on the Insiders sign-up and checkout pages to help prevent fraud. These are covered by Stripe’s own privacy policy.
You can set your browser to refuse some or all cookies, or to alert you when websites set them. If you do, some parts of this website may not work properly.
In plain language, The Blue Bottle Tree uses cookies to make your life and mine simpler, like remembering who you are when you log in. My analytics don’t use cookies at all.
Affiliate links
Some links on this site are affiliate links, including links to Amazon. The Blue Bottle Tree is a member of the Amazon Associates program. If you click an affiliate link, Amazon or the other retailer may place cookies on your browser and collect information about your visit and purchases, so they can tell that you came from my site. I don’t receive your personal information from them. That information is covered by the retailer’s own privacy policy, such as the Amazon Privacy Notice.
9. Content Loaded from Other Websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content such as videos, images, or posts from other websites. Embedded content behaves exactly as if you had visited the other website yourself. Those websites may collect data about you, use cookies, add their own tracking, and monitor how you interact with the embedded content, especially if you have an account with them and are logged in.
Some pages also display testimonials through Senja. The testimonial display loads from Senja’s servers, loads fonts from Google, and reports views back to Senja. Loading it sends your IP address to Senja and Google.
In plain language, if I include a YouTube video or a Pinterest post, I have no control over what YouTube or Pinterest collects. You’ll need to check with them.
10. How Long I Keep Your Data
Comments. Comments and their details are kept indefinitely. This lets me recognize and approve your follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them for moderation.
Website accounts. If you register on my website, I store the information in your user profile. You can see, edit, or delete your personal information at any time, except your username. Website administrators can also see and edit it.
Sales records. Sales records are kept indefinitely. This helps me remind you if you’ve already bought something, let you know about updates, and meet tax record-keeping requirements.
Correspondence. If you contact me, I keep our correspondence indefinitely so I can refer back to it if you get in touch again.
Marketing emails. Sign-up information is kept indefinitely, including after you unsubscribe, so there’s a record of your request and your details are on hand if you sign up again.
Analytics. Anonymous analytics data is kept for up to 26 months so I can see changes and trends over time.
Technical records. Server logs are deleted every month. Security software keeps only the last 2,000 visits, which often clears in minutes. It does keep records of the internet addresses of anyone attempting to break into or damage the site, sometimes permanently, so it can keep blocking them.
Social media. Your posts, comments, and accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms are managed by those platforms. They provide tools for deleting comments and posts and closing accounts.
In plain language, please don’t ask me to delete your Facebook comments on my pages or groups. That’s between you and Facebook. I regularly clear out automatically collected information and only keep data on the proverbial bad actors, so I can keep blocking them.
11. Your Rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to
- see the personal information I hold about you,
- correct information that’s wrong,
- ask me to delete your information,
- get a copy of your information to take elsewhere,
- object to or limit how I use your information, and
- withdraw your consent to emails at any time.
To make any of these requests, visit my Manage My Data page. If you live in the UK or the European Union and you’re not happy with how I’ve handled your information, you also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.
12. Take a Deep Breath
If you’ve made it this far, give yourself a well-earned pat on the back.
13. Data Management Policy
General
It is my policy to
- Not share your information with anyone except
- the technology providers that deliver essential services for my website and products, and that help me give you the support you deserve,
- law enforcement and government agencies, when the laws of the State of Missouri or the United States require it, and
- myself and anyone acting on my behalf to help build, maintain, and develop The Blue Bottle Tree.
- Be transparent about how I collect personal data, and use double opt-in on all email sign-ups.
- Follow the age requirements in my Terms and Conditions. This site is not intended for children under 13.
- Review this policy at least once a year, and whenever I make significant changes, discover a problem, or change a provider in a way that affects this policy.
- Require anyone who works on my website or business to follow the policies set out here.
- Require technology providers with access to visitor or customer data to have appropriate data protection agreements in place.
- Review the data storage needs of anything new I set up, and keep the personal information collected to a minimum wherever practical.
Data Retention
It is my policy to
- Keep server logs for no more than one month.
- Keep anonymous analytics data for no more than 26 months.
- Keep all other data indefinitely, except where you ask me to delete it.
- Remove people who don’t open my emails from my mailing lists on a regular, occasional basis.
Data Security
It is my policy to
- Use recognized, industry-leading providers for the security systems on my servers and computers.
- Allow access to the website only through secure connections.
- Make all administrative passwords as strong as the systems allow.
- Notify anyone whose data may have been exposed, promptly and by email, if my server or business computers are ever compromised in a way that reveals personal data.
- Use automated systems to monitor the security of my computer systems.
- Keep security software up to date through automatic updates.
- Keep an eye on technical news for new threats and take practical steps to protect my systems.
Data Access
It is my policy to
- Limit access to personal data to the fewest providers and people needed to run The Blue Bottle Tree.
- Keep the necessary security measures in place to protect data on my web server and business computers.
Here endeth The Blue Bottle Tree’s privacy policy. Much humor, hair, and sleep was lost in its preparation.
Last updated, September 29, 2026