Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 29, 2026

At STILL by Michael, your privacy is important. This Privacy Policy explains how personal information is collected, used and protected when you visit this website, contact STILL by Michael or engage with its services.

1. Who is responsible for your personal data?

STILL by Michael is responsible for the processing of personal data described in this Privacy Policy.

STILL by Michael
Amstelveen, The Netherlands
Chamber of Commerce (KvK): 42094441
Email:
michael.c.hoekstra@gmail.com

For questions about this Privacy Policy or the use of your personal data, you can contact STILL by Michael using the email address above.

2. What personal data may be collected?

Depending on how you interact with STILL by Michael, the following information may be collected:

  • Your name

  • Your email address

  • Your telephone number, if provided

  • Information you provide through the website contact form

  • Information you provide when requesting or arranging a conversation

  • Information necessary to provide services or communicate with you

  • Administrative and invoicing information where applicable

  • Technical and website usage information, such as browser, device, IP address and website activity, where collected through Squarespace and its analytics functionality

You are not required to provide more personal information than is reasonably necessary for your enquiry or the provision of services.

3. Why is your personal data used?

Personal data may be processed in order to:

  • Respond to enquiries submitted through the website

  • Arrange and communicate about an introductory conversation

  • Assess and discuss a potential engagement with STILL by Michael

  • Provide The STILL Journey or other agreed services

  • Maintain communication during an engagement

  • Handle administration, invoicing and financial records

  • Operate, maintain and improve the website

  • Understand how visitors use the website

  • Comply with applicable legal and administrative obligations

Personal data is only used for the purpose for which it was collected, or for another compatible purpose permitted by law.

4. Legal basis for processing

Depending on the circumstances, personal data is processed on one or more of the following legal bases:

Performance of a contract or steps prior to entering into a contract
For example, when you contact STILL by Michael to explore The STILL Journey, arrange a conversation or become a client.

Legal obligations
Certain information may need to be retained or processed to comply with legal, tax or administrative requirements.

Legitimate interests
Certain data may be processed where reasonably necessary to operate and improve the website, communicate effectively, protect the business or provide services, provided these interests do not override your privacy rights.

Consent
Where consent is required, for example for certain cookies or similar technologies, your information will be processed on the basis of your consent. You may withdraw your consent at any time.

5. Personal information shared during The STILL Journey

The nature of The STILL Journey may involve conversations about personal experiences, reflections, goals, relationships, work or other aspects of your life.

Information shared during these conversations will be treated with care and discretion.

STILL by Michael does not intentionally collect more personal information than is necessary to provide the agreed service. You are encouraged not to provide sensitive personal information unless it is relevant and necessary for the purpose of the engagement.

Where personal information is recorded or retained as part of providing the service, it will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law.

6. Website and Squarespace

This website is hosted by Squarespace.

Squarespace may process certain information about visitors in order to securely operate and provide the website and, depending on the website settings and your cookie choices, to provide website analytics.

This may include information about your browser, network and device, your IP address, pages visited and interactions with the website.

STILL by Michael uses this information to understand website traffic and improve the website and visitor experience.

Squarespace acts as a technology provider and processes information in accordance with its own privacy and data protection practices.

Squarespace confirms that its analytics can collect browser, network, device, IP and website-interaction information. It also provides controls for EU/UK sites to disable certain analytics collection and use a consent banner for non-essential cookies. Squarespace Help

7. Contact forms

When you submit a contact form through this website, the information you enter is processed for the purpose of responding to your enquiry and, where relevant, arranging an introductory conversation.

Website forms are provided through Squarespace.

Information submitted through the contact form may also be received and subsequently handled through Gmail for communication purposes.

8. Email and Google

STILL by Michael uses Gmail and related Google services for business communications.

When you communicate with STILL by Michael by email, your name, email address, message and other information contained in the correspondence may therefore be processed through Google services.

9. Substack

STILL by Michael uses Substack to publish journals and reflections.

If you follow a link from this website to Substack, subscribe to a publication or otherwise interact with Substack, Substack may collect and process personal information under its own privacy practices.

Information you provide directly to Substack is subject to Substack's applicable privacy terms.

10. Cookies and analytics

This website may use cookies and similar technologies that are necessary for the website to function correctly.

Depending on your choices and the website's settings, additional analytics or performance cookies may be used to understand how visitors interact with the website.

Where consent is legally required for non-essential cookies, these cookies should only be used after you have provided the appropriate consent.

You can manage your cookie preferences through the cookie banner where available and through your browser settings.

Squarespace states that required cookies are used to securely serve its websites and that analytics and performance cookies can be configured around the visitor's cookie consent. Squarespace Help

11. Sharing personal data

STILL by Michael does not sell your personal data.

Personal data may be shared with service providers where this is necessary to operate the website, communicate with you, administer the business or provide agreed services.

These service providers may include:

  • Squarespace

  • Google

  • Substack

  • Professional advisers or administrative service providers where reasonably necessary

  • Government authorities or other parties where disclosure is required by law

Only information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose will be shared.

12. International data transfers

Some technology providers used by STILL by Michael operate internationally and may process personal data outside the European Economic Area.

Where personal data is transferred internationally, the relevant service provider and STILL by Michael, where applicable, rely on safeguards required under applicable data protection law.

13. How long is personal data retained?

Personal data is not kept longer than reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

The appropriate retention period depends on the nature of the information and why it was collected.

For example, correspondence relating to an enquiry may be deleted when it is no longer reasonably necessary, while financial and administrative information may need to be retained for the period required under applicable tax and accounting legislation.

The AVG itself does not prescribe one universal retention period; organizations need to determine appropriate periods according to the purpose of the processing and any applicable statutory requirements. Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens

14. Your privacy rights

Under applicable data protection law, you may have the right to:

  • Request access to your personal data

  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information

  • Request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances

  • Request restriction of processing

  • Object to certain processing

  • Request transfer of your personal data where applicable

  • Withdraw your consent where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, contact:

michael.c.hoekstra@gmail.com

You also have the right to submit a complaint to the Dutch Data Protection Authority, the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, if you believe your personal data has been processed unlawfully.

15. Security

STILL by Michael takes reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal data against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

However, no method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

16. Third-party websites

This website may contain links to external websites or services, including Substack.

STILL by Michael is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites. You are encouraged to review the privacy policy of any external service you choose to use.

17. Changes to this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in the website, services, technology or applicable legal requirements.

The most recent version will always be published on this website with the date of the latest update.

18. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or the way your personal data is handled, please contact:

STILL by Michael
Amstelveen, The Netherlands
Chamber of Commerce (KvK): 42094441
michael.c.hoekstra@gmail.com