Terms of Service

Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using the Motherlode Advising website, content, tools, or services (collectively, the "Services"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use our Services.

Motherlode Advising ("we," "our," or "us") provides executive coaching and leadership advisory services to founder-CEOs of growing companies.

Intellectual Property Rights

Our Proprietary Content

All content on this website, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, videos, blog posts, assessments, frameworks, methodologies, and tools, is the exclusive property of Motherlode Advising and is protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

The Motherlode Framework

The Motherlode Framework is our proprietary methodology for identifying system breakdowns within a business. The framework uses 16 critical components (the "16 Cs") to diagnose organizational health. This framework, including but not limited to its structure, components, underlying logic, assessment tools, diagnostic processes, terminology, visual representations, teaching materials, and all related materials, constitutes valuable intellectual property and trade secrets of Motherlode Advising and is protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, and trade secret laws.

Any unauthorized use, disclosure, or reproduction of The Motherlode Framework may result in civil and criminal penalties, including but not limited to injunctive relief, monetary damages, and recovery of attorney's fees.

Prohibited Uses

You may NOT:

• Copy, reproduce, modify, distribute, or create derivative works of our content, including The Motherlode Framework, without express written permission
• Claim The Motherlode Framework or any of our methodologies as your own
• Use our content, frameworks, or methodologies for commercial purposes without a signed agreement, including but not limited to offering coaching, consulting, training, or advisory services based on or derived from our materials
• Teach, train, or facilitate workshops using The Motherlode Framework or any substantial portion thereof
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the underlying logic, structure, or methodology of our assessment tools or framework
• Use our content to train artificial intelligence models or machine learning systems
• Scrape, harvest, or systematically collect content from our website using automated means
• Remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or proprietary notices from our materials
• Share detailed framework information, methodologies, or proprietary materials with third parties, including competitors or other business advisors
• Use our materials in any way that could compete with or substitute for our services

Permitted Uses

You MAY:

• Share our blog posts, videos, and publicly available content on social media or with colleagues, PROVIDED you give proper attribution to Motherlode Advising and link back to the original source
• Reference or discuss our publicly shared concepts in conversation or presentations, WITH proper attribution
• Use our free diagnostic tools for their intended personal/business assessment purposes

If you wish to use our content or frameworks in any other way, contact us at privacy@motherlode.biz for permission.

Use of Services

Eligibility

Our Services are intended for business use only. You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into binding contracts to use our Services.

Account and Information Accuracy

You are responsible for providing accurate, current, and complete information when using our contact forms, assessments, or other tools. You agree to update your information as necessary to maintain its accuracy.

Acceptable Use

You agree to use our Services only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You will not:

• Use the Services in any way that violates applicable laws or regulations
• Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity
• Interfere with or disrupt the Services or servers/networks connected to the Services
• Introduce viruses, malware, or any other harmful code
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Services

Service Relationship and Contracts

These Terms govern your use of our website and publicly available content. If you engage us for executive coaching, advising, or other professional services, you will be required to sign a separate Professional Services Agreement and Statement of Work that will govern that specific service relationship.

Confidentiality of Proprietary Materials

If you engage our services and receive access to The Motherlode Framework or other proprietary methodologies, tools, or materials as part of coaching or advisory services:

• You agree to maintain the confidentiality of all proprietary materials, frameworks, and methodologies shared during the service relationship
• You may not disclose, share, or teach these materials to third parties without express written permission
• This confidentiality obligation survives the termination of any service agreement
• You may apply concepts learned through our services to your own business operations, but may not package, teach, or commercialize our proprietary frameworks or methodologies

Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

No Guarantees

Our content, frameworks, assessments, and general advice are provided for informational and educational purposes only. We make no guarantees regarding specific business outcomes, results, or success from using our Services or implementing our recommendations.

Professional Advice Disclaimer

The information provided through our Services does not constitute legal, financial, accounting, or other professional advice. You should consult with appropriate professionals for advice specific to your situation.

Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, MOTHERLODE ADVISING SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES RESULTING FROM:

• Your use or inability to use the Services
• Any unauthorized access to or use of our servers and/or any personal information stored therein
• Any content obtained from the Services
• Any errors, mistakes, or inaccuracies in content

IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL DAMAGES EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRIOR TO THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE LIABILITY, OR ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100), WHICHEVER IS GREATER.

Refund Policy

We handle refund requests on a case-by-case basis. Generally, payments for services rendered are non-refundable. If you have concerns about services provided, please contact us at privacy@motherlode.biz to discuss.

Arbitration and Dispute Resolution

Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Services shall be resolved through binding arbitration rather than in court, except that you may assert claims in small claims court if your claims qualify.

The arbitration shall be conducted by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall take place in Chicago, Illinois, and shall be governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Each party shall bear its own costs and attorneys' fees in any arbitration, regardless of outcome. The arbitrator may not award punitive or exemplary damages.

You agree to waive your right to a jury trial and to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.

Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to its conflict of law principles.

Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will post updated Terms on our website with a new "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the modified Terms.

Termination

We reserve the right to terminate or suspend your access to our Services at any time, without notice, for conduct that we believe violates these Terms or is harmful to other users, us, or third parties, or for any other reason in our sole discretion.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any separate service agreements you sign, constitute the entire agreement between you and Motherlode Advising regarding the use of our Services.

Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at:

Motherlode Advising
Email: privacy@motherlode.biz
Location: Chicago, Illinois

By using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.