Sprout Media × TCM Consulting Privacy Policy

Last Updated: August 30, 2026
Effective Date: August 30, 2026

TCM Consulting, doing business as Sprout Media (collectively, “Sprout Media,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information when you visit thesproutmedia.com, use a landing page, submit a form, schedule a call, join one of our programs or communities, communicate with us, purchase or receive services, apply to work with us, or otherwise interact with us (collectively, the “Services”).

By using the Services, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services or provide personal information to us.

1. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information Sprout Media collects for its own business purposes.

Sprout Media also provides marketing, advertising, website, analytics, customer-relationship-management, email, SMS, and related services to clients. When we process personal information solely on behalf of a client, that client controls the information and its privacy policy applies. If your request concerns information collected by one of our clients, please contact that client directly. We will assist our clients with valid privacy requests as required by our agreements and applicable law.

2. Personal Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us.

Information You Provide

We may collect:

  • Contact information: name, business name, job title, email address, telephone number, mailing address, and social-media profile information.

  • Business and lead information: website URL, business location, industry, revenue range, marketing budget, business goals, service interests, challenges, and information submitted through assessments, quizzes, lead forms, or discovery calls.

  • Communications: emails, messages, call notes, survey responses, testimonials, feedback, and customer-support communications.

  • Account and project information: portal credentials, project files, brand assets, advertising materials, product information, campaign data, and other content you choose to provide.

  • Transaction information: services purchased, billing contacts, invoices, payment status, and transaction records. Payment-card and bank information is generally collected and processed directly by our payment processors rather than stored by us.

  • Booking and event information: scheduling preferences, appointment details, registrations, attendance, and related communications.

  • Community content: profile information, posts, comments, files, images, videos, and other content you submit to a Sprout Media group, course, workshop, or community. Content shared in public or member-visible areas may be visible to other users.

  • Applicant and contractor information: resume or CV, work history, education, portfolio, references, availability, compensation expectations, and other application information.

  • Other information: any information you voluntarily provide to us.

Please do not send sensitive credentials, payment-card details, government identification numbers, health information, or other highly sensitive information through an unsecured form or email unless we specifically request it through an approved secure method.

Information Collected Automatically

When you use the Services, we and our service providers may automatically collect:

  • IP address and approximate location derived from it;

  • browser, device, operating-system, and language information;

  • pages viewed, links clicked, referring and exit pages, dates and times of access, and session duration;

  • advertising identifiers, cookie identifiers, and similar online identifiers;

  • interactions with our emails, forms, advertisements, videos, and website features; and

  • diagnostic, performance, security, and error data.

We may collect this information using cookies, pixels, tags, software development kits, local storage, web beacons, and similar technologies.

Information From Other Sources

We may receive information from:

  • advertising, analytics, social-media, and search platforms;

  • scheduling, payment, CRM, email, SMS, webinar, course, and community platforms;

  • referral partners, affiliates, event organizers, and business partners;

  • our clients when necessary to provide contracted services;

  • publicly available business directories, websites, and social profiles; and

  • data providers, subject to their terms and applicable law.

We may combine information from these sources with information collected directly from you.

3. How We Use Personal Information

We may use personal information to:

  • provide, operate, personalize, support, and improve the Services;

  • respond to questions, process requests, schedule calls, and communicate with you;

  • prepare proposals, provide marketing assessments, onboard clients, and perform our agreements;

  • build, manage, measure, and optimize websites, advertising campaigns, analytics, email, SMS, CRM, and other marketing services;

  • process payments, issue invoices, maintain records, and prevent fraud;

  • deliver roadmaps, downloads, workshops, courses, events, newsletters, and community access;

  • send service messages and, where permitted, marketing communications;

  • understand website and campaign performance, audience behavior, and attribution;

  • personalize content and advertising and measure advertising effectiveness;

  • maintain, troubleshoot, secure, and protect our systems, users, clients, and business;

  • review job and contractor applications and manage working relationships;

  • enforce our agreements and protect our legal rights;

  • comply with law, legal process, and regulatory obligations; and

  • complete a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, sale of assets, or similar transaction.

We may create aggregated or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be linked to you and use it for lawful business purposes.

4. How We Disclose Personal Information

We may disclose personal information to:

  • Service providers supporting hosting, cloud storage, analytics, CRM, communications, scheduling, payments, accounting, project management, customer support, security, website functionality, content production, and other operations.

  • Advertising and analytics partners that help us deliver, measure, attribute, and improve advertising and website performance. Their use of information may be governed by their own privacy policies.

  • Business and referral partners involved in a joint program, event, referral, promotion, or service when you request or reasonably expect that involvement.

  • Professional advisers, including attorneys, accountants, auditors, insurers, and consultants.

  • Authorities and legal recipients when disclosure is required or permitted by law or reasonably necessary to protect rights, safety, property, users, or the public.

  • Transaction parties involved in a proposed or completed merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, sale of assets, or similar transaction.

  • Other parties at your direction or with your consent.

We do not sell personal information for money. Some advertising and analytics activities may be considered “sharing,” “targeted advertising,” or a “sale” under certain state privacy laws even when no money is exchanged. Where applicable, you may opt out as described below.

5. Client Data and Advertising Services

In providing services to clients, we may access or process customer lists, website activity, purchase data, lead data, advertising audiences, and similar information under the client’s instructions. We use that information to provide contracted services, maintain security, comply with law, and meet our contractual obligations. We do not use client-controlled personal information for unrelated purposes except as permitted by the applicable agreement or law.

Clients are responsible for providing required notices, obtaining required consent, and configuring their websites, forms, advertising, email, and SMS programs in accordance with applicable law.

6. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We may use:

  • Essential technologies for core website functions, security, form submission, and preferences.

  • Analytics technologies to understand traffic, engagement, and performance.

  • Advertising technologies to deliver relevant advertising, create or measure audiences, and attribute conversions.

  • Functional technologies for embedded videos, scheduling, chat, personalization, and other enhanced features.

You can control many cookies through your browser or device settings and through any cookie-preference tool made available on our website. Blocking certain technologies may affect how the Services function. Browser “Do Not Track” signals are not interpreted consistently across the industry. Where required by applicable law and supported by our systems, we process recognized universal opt-out preference signals, such as Global Privacy Control.

7. Marketing Communications

You may unsubscribe from promotional emails using the unsubscribe link in the message. You may opt out of promotional text messages by replying STOP or following the instructions in the message. Message and data rates may apply. Opting out of marketing does not prevent us from sending non-promotional messages about an existing transaction, appointment, account, or client relationship.

8. Your Privacy Choices and Rights

Depending on where you live and subject to applicable exceptions, you may have the right to:

  • know or access the personal information we collect about you;

  • receive a portable copy of certain personal information;

  • correct inaccurate personal information;

  • delete certain personal information;

  • restrict or object to certain processing;

  • withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;

  • opt out of targeted advertising, sale, or sharing of personal information;

  • appeal our decision regarding a privacy request; and

  • receive equal service and pricing without unlawful discrimination for exercising a privacy right.

To submit a request, contact us using Section 15. Describe your request and provide enough information for us to identify the relevant records. We may need to verify your identity and authority. An authorized agent may submit a request where permitted by law, but we may require proof of authorization and verification of your identity.

If we process your information solely for a client, we may direct your request to that client.

9. Supplemental Notice for U.S. State Privacy Laws

The categories of personal information we may collect include identifiers, customer records, commercial information, internet or electronic-network activity, approximate geolocation, professional or employment information, audio or visual content, and inferences drawn from other information. We collect these categories from you, automatically from devices, from service providers and platforms, from clients and partners, and from public sources. We use and disclose them for the purposes described in Sections 3 and 4.

We do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of individuals under 16. We do not use or disclose sensitive personal information for purposes that require a right to limit under California law unless we provide the required notice and choice.

To opt out of targeted advertising or activities treated as sale or sharing, use any privacy-choice control available on our website or contact us using Section 15. You may also enable a supported universal opt-out preference signal in your browser. We do not offer financial incentives in exchange for personal information unless the material terms are presented before you participate.

We retain each category only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, considering the relationship, contractual requirements, legal obligations, dispute and enforcement needs, security, and applicable limitation periods.

10. Legal Bases for EEA, UK, and Similar Jurisdictions

Where a legal basis is required, we process personal information based on:

  • Contract: processing is necessary to enter into or perform an agreement with you.

  • Legitimate interests: processing supports our legitimate business interests, such as operating and improving the Services, communicating with business contacts, securing our systems, and marketing our services, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights.

  • Consent: you have consented to specific processing and may withdraw that consent where applicable.

  • Legal obligation: processing is necessary to comply with law or legal process.

If personal information is transferred to a country that may not provide the same legal protection, we use safeguards required by applicable law when necessary.

11. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the Services, maintain our relationship with you, fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, comply with legal and accounting obligations, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and protect our business. Retention periods vary based on the type and sensitivity of the information, context, and legal requirements. We may retain aggregated, de-identified, backup, or archival information where permitted by law.

12. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect personal information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for using secure methods to share account access and for maintaining the confidentiality of credentials under your control.

13. Children’s Privacy

The Services are intended for business owners, professionals, and adults and are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, contact us so we can review and, where appropriate, delete it.

14. Third-Party Services and Links

The Services may link to or embed third-party websites, social networks, videos, scheduling tools, payment platforms, applications, or services. We do not control those third parties, and this Privacy Policy does not govern their practices. Review their privacy policies before providing personal information.

15. Contact Us

For questions or privacy requests, contact:

TCM Consulting, doing business as Sprout Media
Website: thesproutmedia.com
Privacy requests: use the contact form available on our website and include “Privacy Request” in your message.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the revised version and update the “Last Updated” date. If required by law, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent before a material change takes effect.