Terms of Use

The ground rules for using this website and the free conversations that start here. They are written to be fair and readable, so you know exactly what to expect before you reach out.

Agreeing to these terms

This website, nathanvaknin.com, is run by Nathan Vaknin. These terms explain the rules for using the site, reading its content, and taking part in the free conversations offered through it. When these terms say “I” or “me”, they mean Nathan Vaknin. When they say “you”, they mean anyone who uses the site.

By using the website or booking a conversation, you agree to these terms, along with the Privacy Policy and the Disclaimers and Referral Disclosure, which form part of them. If you do not agree, please do not use the site. That is completely fine, and there are no hard feelings.

What this website offers

The website shares articles, guides and personal perspective on business, marketing, operations and personal growth. It also offers free one to one conversations with me, where you can talk through a personal decision, a business challenge, or a question about tools and connections.

These conversations are voluntary on both sides. I offer my time freely because I believe experience is more valuable when it is shared. There is no fee, no subscription, no membership, and nothing to buy afterwards.

What this website is not

It is important to be clear about what this service is not. Using the website or having a conversation with me does not create any of the following:

• A professional client relationship of any kind.
• A fiduciary relationship, in which I would be legally bound to act in your financial interest.
• An employment relationship, partnership, joint venture or agency.
• A formal advisory, consulting, coaching or therapy relationship.

I am not a licensed lawyer, accountant, tax adviser, financial adviser, investment adviser, insurance professional, doctor, psychologist or therapist, and nothing I share should be treated as coming from one. When your situation needs a licensed professional, I will say so and, where I can, suggest the kind of person to look for. The Disclaimers and Referral Disclosure page explains this in more detail.

Who can use the service

The conversations are intended for adults. By booking one, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old and able to agree to these terms.

I may decline or end a conversation at my discretion. This might happen if a request falls outside what I can reasonably help with, if someone else would clearly serve you better, if my schedule is full, or if a conversation becomes abusive or unsafe. Where I decline, I will try to point you toward something more useful.

Booking and taking part in conversations

When you use the form, it opens a scheduling window or your email app, as explained in the Privacy Policy. Please give accurate details so that I can prepare properly and reach you. If you need to cancel or move a booking, use the link in your confirmation email or simply reply to it.

During a conversation, I will listen carefully, ask questions, and share an honest perspective. I cannot promise that I will have every answer, and I will tell you when I do not. You are always free to disagree with anything I suggest, and every decision you make afterwards is yours.

Your responsibilities

When you use this website, you agree to:

• Provide honest and accurate information when you reach out.
• Use your own judgment, and seek qualified professional advice where your situation calls for it.
• Treat me, and anyone I introduce you to, with courtesy and respect.
• Keep confidential anything a third party shares with you through an introduction, unless they agree otherwise.
• Evaluate any person, company, service or tool yourself before relying on it.

Acceptable use

Please do not use the website to:

• Break any law or encourage anyone else to break one.
• Send spam, advertising, or automated messages through the form.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the site, its hosting, or any connected system.
• Interfere with the site, for example by overloading it or introducing malicious code.
• Copy large parts of the site with automated tools for commercial use.
• Impersonate anyone or misrepresent your connection to any person or organization.

If the website is misused, I may block access and, where appropriate, report the activity to the relevant authorities.

How we communicate

Most communication happens by email and through the scheduling service. I will use the contact details you give me only to arrange, hold and follow up on our conversation, and for anything else you ask me to do. I do not send newsletters or marketing messages unless you clearly ask to receive them.

Please allow reasonable time for replies. This is a free service run by one person, so I cannot promise an immediate response, but every message is read and I do my best to answer promptly.

Your privacy

How I collect, use and protect your information is explained in the Privacy Policy, which forms part of these terms. In short, I do not sell your information, I share it only when you ask me to or when the law requires it, and you can ask me to delete it at any time.

Content and intellectual property

The articles, guides, text, design, logo and other material on this website belong to Nathan Vaknin or are used with permission. You are welcome to read, print and share individual articles for personal, non commercial purposes, as long as you credit the source and link back to the original page.

You may not republish substantial parts of the site, sell its content, or present it as your own without written permission. If you would like to use something in another way, just ask. I am usually happy to help.

Anything you share with me stays yours. I will use it only as described in the Privacy Policy.

Recommendations and outside links

I may recommend people, companies, tools, books or communities that could help you. I do this independently and receive nothing in return. However, a recommendation is not a guarantee, an endorsement of everything a provider does, or a professional referral relationship. You are responsible for checking whether any recommendation suits you.

The website also links to outside sites, including social networks and the scheduling service. I do not control those sites and am not responsible for their content, availability or practices.

No guarantees

I work hard to make the content on this site accurate, useful and up to date, but I provide the website and the conversations “as is”. I cannot guarantee that the information is complete, current or suitable for your circumstances, or that the website will always be available and free of errors.

I do not guarantee any particular outcome from reading the site or having a conversation, including any financial result, business growth, career change or personal improvement. Your results depend on your own decisions and circumstances.

Limits of liability

Because this service is offered freely and without payment, and to the fullest extent the law allows, I am not liable for any loss or damage that arises from your use of the website, its content, or any conversation. That includes direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or special losses, and any loss of profit, revenue, data or opportunity.

Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited under the law that applies to you, such as liability for fraud.

Your responsibility for misuse

If you misuse the website or break these terms, and that leads to a claim against me, you agree to cover the reasonable costs that result, including reasonable legal fees.

Ideas and feedback

If you send me suggestions about the website or the service, I may use them to improve things without owing you anything for them. I appreciate every idea, and I will never publish your personal story or details as an example without your clear permission.

Ending use of the service

You can stop using the website or cancel a conversation at any time, for any reason, without explanation. I may also suspend access for anyone who breaks these terms. Any part of these terms that by its nature should continue, such as the sections on content ownership, no guarantees and limits of liability, continues to apply after you stop using the site.

Changes to the site and these terms

I may update, change or remove any part of the website at any time, including pausing the free conversations. I may also update these terms. When I do, I will change the date at the top of this page. If you keep using the site after an update, you accept the updated terms.

General terms

These terms are governed by the laws of the place where Nathan Vaknin is based, without regard to conflict of law rules. If any part of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. If I do not enforce a term straight away, that does not mean I have waived it. These terms, together with the Privacy Policy and the Disclaimers and Referral Disclosure, are the full agreement between us about the website.

Questions about these terms

If anything here is unclear, email hello@nathanvaknin.com. I would much rather answer a question up front than have a misunderstanding later.