Terms of enrollment & use

Terms of Enrollment & Use

Effective 2026-09-23 · Version 3

1. Agreement and seller identity

These Terms of Enrollment & Use (“Terms”) govern access to and use of Message & Method websites, accounts, educational programs, materials, tools, Guided Cohorts, Private Coaching, and related offerings and services. Message & Method is operated by Cumbo, Inc., a New York corporation doing business as Message & Method (“Message & Method,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).

By checking an agreement box and completing a purchase, creating an account where acceptance is requested, signing an agreement, or otherwise affirmatively accepting these Terms, the purchaser and participant agree to be bound by these Terms, the applicable offer and order details, and any product-specific policies or terms presented before purchase.

“Purchaser” means the person or organization that pays for an offering. “Participant” means the individual who receives access to or participates in the offering. When the purchaser and participant are the same person, both terms refer to that person.

These Terms apply to individual consumer purchases unless a separate proposal, order form, enterprise agreement, or other written agreement applies. Organizational purchases, sponsored enrollments, bulk or multi-seat licensing, and custom engagements may be governed by additional or different terms.

2. Incorporated policies and product-specific terms

The Privacy Policy, applicable refund policy, and any product-specific terms presented before purchase are incorporated into these Terms for the applicable offering.

Eligible individual purchases of the Self-Directed Program are also governed by the 90-Day Completion-Based Refund Policy. Guided Cohort purchases are also governed by the Guided Cohort Terms presented before purchase. Private Coaching purchases are also governed by the Private Coaching Terms, proposal, offer, order confirmation, or separate written agreement presented before purchase.

If a product-specific written term conflicts with these general Terms, the more specific product-specific term controls for that offering. A separately signed written agreement controls over these Terms and other general policies to the extent of a direct conflict.

3. Offer and order details

The applicable offer, checkout, order confirmation, proposal, or written agreement identifies the commercial terms of the purchase, which may include the offering, participant, price, taxes, payment arrangement, access period, live-session schedule, included services, and special conditions.

The purchaser is responsible for reviewing the applicable offer, checkout information, incorporated policies, and order details before completing the purchase and for promptly reporting a material error in the order information.

4. Eligibility, authority, and accurate information

Purchasers and participants must be at least 18 years old and must satisfy any additional eligibility requirements stated for the offering. Message & Method does not currently offer a minor-enrollment pathway.

The purchaser and participant must provide accurate, current, and complete information. A person purchasing for an employer, organization, or another participant represents that the person has authority to make the purchase and provide the submitted information.

Where the purchaser and participant are different, the purchaser is responsible for ensuring that the participant receives and accepts the terms governing participation before access or services are used.

5. Access period and enrollment

Unless the applicable offer states otherwise, access to the Self-Directed Program begins on the purchase date and continues for 12 months. The purchase date is the enrollment date for purposes of the 90-Day Completion-Based Refund Policy.

Access is personal, limited, revocable, non-exclusive, and non-transferable. Guided Cohorts, Private Coaching, and other live or scheduled services follow the dates, access periods, and schedules stated in their applicable offer or product-specific terms.

Expiration of access to a course, tool, recording, account area, or other service does not transfer ownership of any hosted material or create a right to continued platform access.

6. One-time purchases and installment plans

Unless expressly identified otherwise, enrollment is a one-time purchase and does not renew automatically.

When a purchaser selects an installment plan, the installments divide a fixed purchase obligation and do not create a cancel-anytime subscription. The applicable checkout or order information will identify the installment amount, payment cadence, and total installment-plan price. The installment-plan total may be higher than the pay-in-full price.

The full installment-plan balance remains due unless a refund is approved under an applicable refund policy, the parties agree otherwise in writing, or applicable law requires otherwise. Stopping participation, failing to use the offering, or allowing access to expire does not cancel remaining installments.

7. Payment authorization and overdue payments

The purchaser authorizes Message & Method and its payment providers to charge the selected payment method for the amounts and on the schedule disclosed at purchase.

If a scheduled payment fails or becomes overdue, we may retry the payment, request updated payment information, restrict or suspend access, and pause live participation or services while the account remains overdue.

Unless the applicable offer states otherwise, a purchaser will ordinarily have a seven-calendar-day grace period after a failed scheduled payment to provide a valid payment method and bring the account current. A second payment failure or failure to cure the overdue amount may result in cancellation of access or services.

Suspension or cancellation for nonpayment does not extend an access period or waive amounts already due. We will not charge interest or a late fee unless it was clearly disclosed and agreed before purchase.

8. Refunds, cancellations, and payment disputes

Eligible direct, individual purchases of one Self-Directed Program enrollment are governed exclusively by the 90-Day Completion-Based Refund Policy presented before purchase. That policy is a completion-based refund mechanism and is not a general satisfaction, cancellation, or change-of-mind guarantee.

The 90-Day Completion-Based Refund Policy does not apply to Guided Cohorts, Private Coaching, organizational or enterprise purchases, bulk or multi-seat licensing, sponsored enrollments, transferred seats, custom engagements, or other purchases made under separate offer terms. Refund, cancellation, credit, replacement-seat, and rescheduling rights for those purchases are governed by their applicable offer, product-specific terms, or written agreement.

Before initiating a payment dispute concerning access, service delivery, cancellation, or refund eligibility, the purchaser is encouraged to contact Message & Method and use the applicable support or refund process so that we have an opportunity to investigate and address the matter. Nothing in these Terms limits a payment-dispute or consumer right that cannot lawfully be limited.

We may suspend access while a payment is disputed. If a payment is reversed, charged back, or otherwise withdrawn, access and services associated with that payment may be terminated. Access may be restored when appropriate if the dispute is resolved in our favor or the account is otherwise brought current.

9. Course changes and service availability

We may update, correct, replace, reorganize, or discontinue individual lessons, examples, tools, instructors, schedules, technical features, or platform components to maintain, improve, secure, or adapt an offering.

During an active paid access period, we will continue to provide the purchased offering in a form substantially consistent with its description at enrollment or provide a reasonably equivalent substitute. Later additions to the Self-Directed Program do not automatically become retroactive completion requirements for a learner’s refund eligibility.

Maintenance, updates, outages, technical failures, and temporary interruptions may occur. A temporary interruption does not automatically create a refund or extension right. A material cancellation by Message & Method will be addressed under the applicable offer terms, these Terms, and applicable law.

10. Technology and participant responsibilities

The participant is responsible for compatible equipment, current and supported software, reliable internet access, a suitable environment, and sufficient technical ability to use the offering.

The participant must follow reasonable technical and participation instructions and must use the service only for lawful purposes. The participant is responsible for obtaining any permission needed to record, upload, display, discuss, or share third parties, workplaces, locations, slides, music, images, documents, confidential information, or other protected material.

Message & Method does not guarantee compatibility with every device, browser, operating system, assistive technology, network, security configuration, or third-party service.

11. Accounts and security

Accounts, login credentials, access links, and licensed seats may not be shared, sold, transferred, or made available to another person unless Message & Method expressly authorizes the arrangement in writing.

The account holder is responsible for protecting account credentials and for activity occurring through the account to the extent reasonably within the account holder’s control. Suspected unauthorized access or misuse must be reported promptly to [email protected].

We may require reasonable identity, enrollment, or purchase verification. We may restrict or suspend activity that appears fraudulent, abusive, insecure, automated, unauthorized, or inconsistent with these Terms.

12. Educational service and limited access license

Message & Method is offered as an educational service. Any limited right to access course software, interactive tools, or technical functionality is incidental to participation in the educational program and does not transfer ownership of any software, system, or platform.

Message & Method and its licensors retain all rights, title, and interest in the curriculum, videos, audio, lessons, workbooks, card decks, templates, assessments, instructions, prompts, examples, interactive tools, software, site design, graphics, trademarks, and other program materials.

During the applicable access period, the participant receives a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the offering and its materials solely for the participant’s own learning and original speaking or professional work, subject to these Terms.

Nothing in these Terms prevents a participant from applying learned principles, methods, or skills to the participant’s own original speeches, presentations, communications, or professional activities. The participant may not reproduce or commercially exploit the protected expression, structure, materials, or tools of the program.

13. Protected materials, downloads, and prohibited copying

Course materials are provided for access through the authorized platform and may not be downloaded, copied, screen-captured, photographed, screen-recorded, audio-recorded, scraped, extracted, reproduced, or otherwise preserved unless Message & Method expressly provides a download or export function for that material.

Without prior written permission, a purchaser or participant may not:

  • share accounts, credentials, protected links, recordings, or licensed access;
  • circumvent or attempt to circumvent access, download, printing, copy-protection, or security controls;
  • copy, reproduce, publish, distribute, sell, sublicense, translate, or adapt program materials for distribution or commercial use;
  • remove copyright, trademark, confidentiality, attribution, or other rights notices;
  • use automated tools, bots, scripts, scraping systems, artificial-intelligence systems, or similar technologies to extract, collect, reproduce, index, or analyze protected program content;
  • create or operate a course, workshop, coaching program, training product, assessment, tool, dataset, model, or competing service derived from protected program materials;
  • teach, facilitate, resell, license, or deliver the program or a substantially similar commercial training experience using Message & Method materials; or
  • use confidential Guided Cohort, coaching, or participant information for any unauthorized purpose.

A provided export function authorizes only the export expressly produced by that function and does not authorize access to, copying of, or extraction from other parts of the platform.

14. Participant-created content and exports

The participant retains ownership of original content created or submitted by the participant, subject to any rights belonging to other people or organizations.

The participant grants Message & Method and service providers acting on our behalf a limited, worldwide license to host, store, process, reproduce, display, transmit, back up, migrate, and technically format participant content as reasonably necessary to provide, operate, secure, maintain, troubleshoot, and support the contracted service; comply with law; and enforce these Terms.

This operational license does not authorize public, testimonial, promotional, or advertising use of a participant’s name, image, voice, recording, statement, or substantive learner work. Any such use requires separate permission appropriate to the intended use.

Where an authorized export function is provided for a journal, script, plan, assessment result, or other participant-created work, the participant may download and retain the resulting exported copy for personal or internal professional use. Access to export functions is ordinarily available only during the participant’s active access period.

We may use aggregated or de-identified information for service analysis and improvement as described in the Privacy Policy.

15. Participant-created work, data availability, and backups

Participants are responsible for exporting and securely retaining permitted copies of participant-created work they wish to preserve. Course tools and platform storage are provided for educational and operational convenience and are not intended to serve as a permanent archive, records-management system, or backup service.

Participant-created work and course records may be lost, corrupted, overwritten, reverted to an earlier version, become inaccessible, or fail to export because of user error, device or browser issues, software defects, synchronization problems, maintenance, security events, service-provider failures, restoration from backup, or other technical causes.

A restoration or recovery process may preserve some information while removing more recent entries, revisions, uploads, completion activity, saves, or other changes made after the applicable backup or recovery point.

Participants should regularly export permitted copies of important journal entries, scripts, plans, assessments, and other participant-created work where an export function is available. The availability of an export function does not guarantee that every type of information can be exported, that all prior versions will remain available, or that an export will always complete successfully.

Data may remain in our systems after access expires or is terminated, but continued storage, availability, recovery, or later export is not guaranteed. Expiration or termination of access ordinarily removes the participant’s ability to view or export stored work even if the underlying information has not yet been deleted.

Loss, corruption, reversion, unavailability, or inability to recover some or all participant-created work or course records does not by itself create a right to a refund, access extension, or other remedy. We may provide restoration assistance, an access adjustment, replacement functionality, credit, refund, or another proportionate remedy when appropriate under the circumstances or required by applicable law.

16. Participant-content responsibilities

The participant represents that content submitted, displayed, recorded, uploaded, or used through an offering is lawful and that the participant has the rights, permissions, and authority necessary for that use.

The participant must not submit malware, malicious code, illegal content, content that infringes another person’s rights, another person’s sensitive or confidential information without appropriate authority, or regulated or highly sensitive information that the applicable system is not designed to receive.

Unless a written agreement and the applicable system expressly permit it, participants must not submit payment-card information, government identification numbers, protected health information, export-controlled information, trade secrets, or third-party confidential information.

The participant remains responsible for the accuracy, originality, clearance, appropriateness, and final use of the participant’s speeches, presentations, documents, visual aids, recordings, and other work products.

17. Guided Cohorts

Guided Cohorts are governed by these Terms, the applicable offer and schedule, and the Guided Cohort Terms presented before purchase.

During a Guided Cohort, participants may see or hear one another’s names, images, voices, chat messages, spoken contributions, feedback, and other material shared in the group. Participants must respect the privacy and confidentiality of other participants and may not disclose or redistribute cohort communications or materials except as expressly permitted.

The applicable Guided Cohort Terms will describe attendance requirements, session access, recordings, recording availability, participant conduct, confidentiality, missed sessions, schedule changes, and any cohort-specific cancellation or refund terms.

Participants may not create their own audio, video, photographic, screen, transcript, or other recording of a Guided Cohort unless Message & Method provides prior written permission.

Separate express permission is required for Message & Method to use a participant’s name, image, voice, recording, statement, or work publicly or promotionally.

18. Private Coaching

Private Coaching is governed by these Terms and the applicable proposal, offer, order confirmation, scheduling terms, Private Coaching Terms, or separate written agreement.

Each Private Coaching engagement is individually scoped. The agreed scope may include coaching, review, editing, research, design, speechwriting, production, rehearsal, consulting, or other services only when expressly included in the applicable written terms.

Work outside the agreed scope requires additional written approval and may involve additional fees, revised timing, or a separate engagement.

Private Coaching schedules, session duration, expiration, support, confidentiality, recording, rescheduling, cancellation, deliverables, and any organization-sponsored reporting are governed by the terms applicable to that engagement.

19. Professional and respectful conduct

Participants must behave lawfully, professionally, and respectfully. A participant may not harass, threaten, discriminate against, impersonate, exploit, intimidate, or intentionally disrupt another person; disclose private or confidential cohort or coaching information; interfere with service operation; violate another person’s rights; or use an offering for unlawful, fraudulent, or abusive purposes.

Depending on the circumstances, we may issue a warning, restrict a feature, remove a participant from a live session, suspend access, or terminate participation. We may act immediately when conduct presents a safety, security, legal, privacy, infringement, fraud, or substantial disruption risk. In other situations, we may provide notice and an opportunity to correct the problem where reasonable.

Access terminated because of serious or repeated participant misconduct, unlawful conduct, intentional infringement, fraud, or another material breach is not refundable except where applicable law requires otherwise.

20. Educational nature, participant responsibility and no guaranteed results

Message & Method provides education, training, tools, exercises, practice, feedback, coaching, consulting, facilitation, strategy, and related professional services. These services may be provided through self-directed programs, guided cohorts, private coaching, organizational or enterprise training, workshops, speaking engagements, consulting engagements, or other formats.

Message & Method does not provide medical, mental-health, legal, tax, financial, employment, or other licensed professional advice.

All recommendations, strategies, techniques, examples, exercises, feedback, templates, tools, and other guidance provided by Message & Method are offered for the participant’s consideration and judgment. The participant retains final authority and responsibility for deciding whether, when, where, and how to use or implement that guidance.

Participants are responsible for evaluating whether any recommendation or technique is appropriate for their particular circumstances, audience, organization, professional environment, obligations, and objectives. Message & Method does not control the participant’s decisions or implementation and cannot evaluate every circumstance in which its guidance may be used.

No particular improvement, speaking performance, audience response, business result, promotion, employment result, income, sale, acceptance, confidence level, relationship outcome, or other result is guaranteed.

Results depend on participation, practice, preparation, judgment, implementation, individual circumstances, audience conditions, organizational conditions, timing, and other factors outside Message & Method’s control.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Message & Method is not responsible for adverse consequences arising from a participant’s independent decision to use, adapt, disregard, or implement program guidance, except to the extent responsibility cannot lawfully be limited or excluded under applicable law.

21. Privacy and service providers

We process personal information as described in the Privacy Policy. The Privacy Policy explains the categories of information collected, purposes of use, disclosures to service providers and others, cookies and similar technologies, retention, security practices, and available privacy choices.

We may use service providers that support hosting, content delivery, learning management, payments, email and communications, customer relationship management, forms, scheduling, live meetings, video hosting, file storage, analytics, security, support, accessibility, professional services, and other business operations.

22. Accessibility

Accessibility requests and feedback are handled as described in the Accessibility Statement. Participants may contact us regarding an identified barrier or requested alternative.

We will consider reasonable means of addressing identified barriers, including practical alternative formats, assistance, or completion methods where appropriate and feasible. Not every requested format or modification will necessarily be available.

23. Suspension, termination, and expiration

We may suspend or terminate access or participation for material breach, nonpayment, security risk, unlawful conduct, infringement, fraud, abuse, serious disruption, or misuse of an account or offering, using reasonable notice where circumstances permit.

A participant may stop using an offering at any time, but stopping use does not itself cancel a purchase, create a refund right, or eliminate an unpaid installment obligation.

Upon expiration or termination, the participant’s right to access hosted course materials, tools, recordings, account areas, and stored participant-created work ends. The participant may retain permitted exports lawfully downloaded before access ended, subject to the intellectual-property and use restrictions in these Terms.

Provisions concerning payment, refunds, intellectual property, prohibited uses, participant content, confidentiality, privacy, disclaimers, liability, indemnification, disputes, and other provisions that by their nature should continue will survive expiration or termination.

24. Disclaimers and limitation of liability

Except for express commitments stated in the applicable offer or written agreement, the website, platform, tools, materials, and services are provided on an “as available” basis to the fullest extent permitted by law.

We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation, permanent retention or recoverability of participant content, compatibility with every device or technology, continuous availability of a third-party service, or any particular educational, professional, financial, or personal result.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Cumbo, Inc. and its officers, employees, contractors, and agents will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, punitive, or consequential damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, lost opportunities, loss of data, loss of goodwill, or business interruption arising from or related to an offering.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the aggregate liability of Cumbo, Inc. arising from or relating to a paid offering will not exceed the amount paid by the claimant for that offering.

These exclusions and limitations do not apply to fraud, willful misconduct, gross negligence where liability cannot lawfully be limited, or another liability that applicable law does not permit us to exclude or limit.

25. Indemnification

The purchaser or participant will indemnify and hold harmless Cumbo, Inc. and its officers, employees, contractors, and agents from third-party claims, damages, liabilities, judgments, and reasonable costs arising from the purchaser’s or participant’s unlawful conduct, infringement of another person’s rights, unauthorized copying or distribution of program materials, privacy violation, fraud, or material breach of these Terms, except to the extent caused by Cumbo, Inc.’s own wrongdoing.

We will provide reasonable notice of a covered third-party claim where practicable. We may control the defense and settlement of the claim, but we will not agree to a settlement that imposes a direct admission of wrongdoing or a nonmonetary obligation on the indemnifying party without that party’s reasonable consent.

26. Events beyond reasonable control

Events beyond our reasonable control may delay, interrupt, reschedule, or alter delivery. These events may include serious illness, power or network failure, platform or service-provider outage, cybersecurity incident, severe weather, emergency, labor disruption, government action, natural disaster, or another event that could not reasonably be prevented.

Depending on the circumstances, we may respond with substitute delivery, a substitute instructor or coach, rescheduling, an access extension, replacement functionality, credit, refund, or another proportionate adjustment.

A temporary disruption does not automatically create a refund right. A material cancellation by Message & Method will be addressed under the applicable offer terms and applicable law.

27. Electronic communications and records

The purchaser and participant agree that we may provide receipts, order confirmations, agreements, notices, disclosures, policy updates, account communications, and other records electronically through email, the website, or the participant’s account.

Electronic records and signatures may be used to the extent permitted by applicable law. The purchaser and participant are responsible for maintaining a current email address and for reviewing communications sent to the address associated with the purchase or account.

28. Feedback and suggestions

A participant may voluntarily provide feedback, ideas, corrections, or suggestions concerning the website, curriculum, tools, or services. We may use and incorporate that feedback without restriction or compensation.

This provision does not authorize public or promotional use of private learner content, recordings, journals, scripts, assessments, or other substantive participant-created work.

29. Governing law and informal dispute resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict-of-law rules, except where nonwaivable consumer law requires otherwise.

Before filing a claim concerning these Terms or an offering, the parties will attempt in good faith for 30 days to resolve the dispute informally after written notice describing the issue and requested resolution. Notice to Message & Method must be sent to [email protected].

The informal-resolution requirement does not prevent either party from seeking emergency relief when reasonably necessary to prevent immediate harm, preserve rights, or comply with a filing deadline.

30. Courts and venue

Subject to an eligible small-claims proceeding and any right to seek emergency relief, a claim arising from these Terms or an offering must be brought in a state court located in Erie County, New York, or in the federal court having jurisdiction over Erie County, New York.

Nothing in these Terms waives a consumer protection, forum, venue, or other right that applicable law does not permit the parties to waive.

31. Assignment

The purchaser or participant may not assign these Terms, transfer an enrollment, or delegate access or participation rights without prior written approval from Message & Method.

We may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, reorganization, financing, sale, transfer of the business or relevant assets, or a change in the entity operating Message & Method, subject to applicable law.

32. Entire agreement, severability, and waiver

These Terms, the applicable offer and order details, and incorporated policies and product-specific terms constitute the agreement concerning the applicable purchase and participation, except to the extent a separate signed written agreement applies.

If a provision of these Terms is determined to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, the provision will be enforced to the greatest extent permitted or removed to the minimum extent necessary. The remaining provisions will continue in effect.

A failure or delay in enforcing a provision does not waive the right to enforce that provision or another provision later. A waiver is effective only when made in writing by an authorized representative of Message & Method.

33. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms to reflect changes in our services, technology, operations, or legal obligations. The effective date and version will be updated when these Terms change.

The version accepted or otherwise applicable at purchase will continue to govern the purchase price, purchased access period, promised included services, and accepted refund rights unless the parties agree otherwise or a change is required by law.

We will not retroactively increase the purchase price, shorten purchased access, reduce promised coaching or services, alter accepted refund terms, or add a new payment obligation without agreement or legal necessity.

Material changes affecting an active paid offering will receive appropriate notice and renewed assent when required by applicable law.

34. Contact

Support questions may be sent to [email protected].

Legal notices may be sent to [email protected].

Message & Method
Cumbo, Inc.
PO Box 119
Clarence Center, NY 14032-0119

Guided Cohort Terms

Effective 2026-09-23 · Version 2

1. Scope and relationship to other terms

These Guided Cohort Terms (“Cohort Terms”) apply to enrollment in and participation in a Message & Method Guided Cohort. They supplement the Terms of Enrollment & Use, Privacy Policy, applicable offer details, checkout information, and any other terms presented before purchase.

If these Cohort Terms conflict with the general Terms of Enrollment & Use, these more specific Cohort Terms control for the Guided Cohort. A separately signed organizational agreement, proposal, or other written agreement controls to the extent of a direct conflict.

“Participant” means the individual enrolled to participate in the Guided Cohort. “Purchaser” means the person or organization that pays for the enrollment. When the purchaser and participant are the same person, both terms refer to that person.

2. Guided Cohort structure

A Guided Cohort combines access to the complete Message & Method Self-Directed Program with scheduled live group sessions for instruction, practice, coaching, feedback, discussion, peer learning, and accountability.

Unless the applicable offer states otherwise, a Guided Cohort consists of eight live sessions. The applicable offer will identify the scheduled dates, times, session length, cohort format, included services, price, payment options, and any special conditions.

The core curriculum is the same curriculum provided through the Self-Directed Program. Message & Method may adjust examples, assignments, session emphasis, speaking order, or facilitation methods in response to the needs, progress, and composition of a particular cohort.

Guided Cohorts are participatory educational experiences rather than attendance-flexible subscriptions. Participants are expected to prepare, attend, speak when scheduled, observe other participants, contribute constructive feedback, and complete assigned work through the course platform.

3. Reservation deposit

Where offered, a reservation deposit provisionally holds a place in a Guided Cohort. Payment of a reservation deposit does not create confirmed enrollment, activate the Self-Directed Program, grant access to the cohort group or onboarding area, or authorize Message & Method to charge the remaining cohort price automatically.

The reservation deposit is refundable until the participant completes the separate cohort enrollment process, unless the applicable deposit offer expressly states otherwise.

After the cohort is confirmed, eligible depositors will receive access to a separate enrollment checkout or written enrollment process showing the confirmed schedule, total cohort price, deposit credit, remaining amount due, available payment arrangements, and applicable terms.

The reservation deposit will be applied as a prior-payment credit toward the cohort purchase price. It is not a promotional discount.

If the participant does not complete enrollment by the stated deadline, Message & Method may release the reserved place and refund the reservation deposit to the original payment method. Message & Method may extend the deadline in its discretion but is not required to do so.

4. Confirmed enrollment and payment obligation

Confirmed enrollment occurs only when the participant completes the required cohort checkout or written enrollment process, accepts the applicable schedule and terms, and pays the required remaining balance or first installment.

Once confirmed enrollment is completed, the Guided Cohort purchase is nonrefundable except where these Cohort Terms expressly provide otherwise or applicable law requires a remedy.

If an installment plan is selected, the installments divide a fixed purchase price and do not create a cancel-anytime subscription. The entire disclosed balance remains due even if the participant later withdraws, misses sessions, stops participating, or does not use the included services.

Payment failures, overdue balances, suspension, and collection of scheduled installments are governed by the Terms of Enrollment & Use and the payment terms presented at checkout.

5. Course and cohort access

Completion of the cohort enrollment checkout ordinarily activates access to the Self-Directed Program and the applicable cohort-specific group area.

Access will ordinarily be activated before the first live cohort session so that participants can review onboarding materials, become familiar with the platform, and complete preliminary work.

The participant’s 12-month Self-Directed Program access period begins on the date course access is activated, not on the date the reservation deposit is paid and not necessarily on the date of the first live session.

The cohort-specific group area may include onboarding materials, cohort instructions, preliminary assignments, schedules, announcements, meeting links, support information, and recordings where available.

A change in the live cohort schedule does not automatically restart or extend the 12-month Self-Directed Program access period. Message & Method may provide an extension or another reasonable adjustment where a material postponement creates a substantial mismatch between course access and the live cohort schedule.

6. Cohort size and group composition

The applicable offer may identify a maximum cohort size. Message & Method will not intentionally exceed a published maximum without the affected participants’ agreement.

A cohort may require sufficient enrollment to support the planned group experience. Message & Method may postpone, cancel, or combine compatible public cohorts if enrollment, instructor availability, scheduling, or operational circumstances make that reasonably necessary.

Combining compatible public cohorts is not by itself a material change, provided that the overall format remains substantially consistent, the published maximum group size is not exceeded, and participants retain substantially the same included speaking opportunities and support.

A private organizational cohort will not be combined with an unrelated public or organizational cohort unless the purchasing organization agrees.

7. Leadership and substitute facilitators

Unless an offer clearly states otherwise, Peter Cumbo will ordinarily lead the Guided Cohort.

A qualified guest coach, facilitator, or subject-matter contributor may occasionally participate. Message & Method may use a qualified substitute facilitator if illness, emergency, scheduling conflict, or another reasonable circumstance prevents the originally scheduled facilitator from leading a session.

If another person will serve as the primary cohort leader for the program as a whole, that will be disclosed before confirmed enrollment whenever reasonably practicable.

8. Attendance and participation

Participants are expected to attend all scheduled live sessions, arrive on time, remain present and engaged, complete reasonable preparation, and participate through working two-way audio and video unless Message & Method approves an alternative.

Participants should join from a quiet, appropriately lit, and reasonably private environment where they can speak, listen, observe, and participate without avoidable disruption.

Attendance is the participant’s responsibility. Individual absences do not require Message & Method or the rest of the cohort to reschedule a session.

Repeated absence, lack of preparation, disengagement, or practical withdrawal does not create a refund, credit, makeup-session, transfer, access-extension, or cancellation right.

9. Speaking opportunities

Unless the applicable offer states otherwise, the Guided Cohort is designed to provide each participant with a short baseline speaking turn, two substantial coached developmental speaking turns, and a final capstone speaking turn.

Substantial speaking turns may follow a published or announced rotation. Participants are responsible for knowing their scheduled turns, attending, and arriving prepared.

A participant who misses or is unprepared for a scheduled speaking turn ordinarily forfeits that opportunity.

Message & Method may make a good-faith effort to arrange a swap, reschedule a turn, or provide another opportunity when practical, but no replacement speaking turn is guaranteed.

A missed speaking turn does not create a right to an individual makeup session, refund, credit, additional asynchronous review, course extension, or other remedy.

Participants also learn by observing other speakers and contributing substantive, respectful peer feedback. Not every participant will deliver a substantial speaking turn during every session.

10. Between-session support and review

The applicable offer will identify any between-session support, asynchronous review, office hours, private support channel, or other assistance included with the cohort.

Where included, between-session support is limited to the channels, response windows, number of submissions, duration limits, and scope stated in the applicable offer or cohort instructions.

Between-session support is not unlimited, immediate, emergency, or continuously available. Unused review opportunities or support capacity do not convert into cash, credit, private coaching, or additional cohort services.

Message & Method may decline or defer submissions that exceed the stated length, arrive outside the applicable period, require work beyond the included scope, or contain material that cannot appropriately be reviewed.

11. Missed sessions

Individual makeup sessions are not included.

A participant who misses a session may continue with the assigned course work and may review a cohort recording if a recording is created and made available.

On rare occasions, Message & Method may reschedule a session if the group agrees and scheduling permits. An individual absence does not require the group to change its schedule.

Missing one or more sessions does not reduce the cohort price, cancel installment obligations, extend Self-Directed Program access, or create refund eligibility.

12. Session recordings

Message & Method may record live cohort sessions and may make recordings available to enrolled participants as a supplemental feature during the cohort recording-access period.

Recordings are not guaranteed. A session may not be recorded, and a recording may be missing, incomplete, corrupted, delayed, removed, edited, withheld, or become unavailable because of technical failure, data loss, privacy concerns, participant safety, service-provider failure, restoration from backup, or other circumstances.

The absence, loss, corruption, delay, removal, or unavailability of a recording does not by itself create a right to a refund, credit, makeup session, access extension, replacement service, or other remedy.

Unless the applicable offer states otherwise, recordings made available to participants will ordinarily remain accessible through the cohort group area until 30 calendar days after the final scheduled live session.

Message & Method may shorten or restrict access to a particular recording when reasonably necessary to protect privacy, confidentiality, security, intellectual property, or the integrity of the program.

Recordings are supplemental and are not a substitute for live attendance, preparation, speaking participation, or peer engagement.

Participants may not download, screen-record, audio-record, photograph, copy, transcribe, reproduce, distribute, share, publish, or otherwise preserve cohort recordings unless Message & Method expressly provides written permission or an authorized download function.

13. Participant recording prohibition

Participants may not create their own audio, video, photographic, screen, transcript, artificial-intelligence-generated, or other recording or reproduction of a live cohort session, another participant, shared presentation, chat, screen, or cohort material.

This prohibition applies whether the recording is made through the meeting platform, a separate device, screen-capture software, transcription service, artificial-intelligence assistant, browser extension, or another method.

An accessibility-related recording or transcription request must be raised in advance so that Message & Method can consider an appropriate alternative.

14. Privacy and confidentiality

Participants may see or hear other participants’ names, images, voices, presentations, stories, feedback, chat messages, employer information, goals, experiences, and other non-public material.

Participants must not disclose, reproduce, summarize in an identifying way, or use another participant’s personal stories, presentation content, employer or client information, feedback, recordings, or other non-public cohort material outside the group without that participant’s express permission.

Participants may discuss general lessons, principles, and personal insights gained from the cohort so long as they do not identify another participant or reveal that participant’s confidential or private information.

Message & Method will use reasonable measures to support cohort privacy, but no group setting can guarantee that every participant will comply with confidentiality obligations.

Participants should not disclose trade secrets, protected health information, regulated data, government identifiers, privileged information, third-party confidential information, or material they are not authorized to share.

Confidentiality obligations continue after the cohort ends or a participant withdraws or is removed.

15. Public and promotional use

Participation in a recorded cohort does not by itself authorize Message & Method to use a participant’s name, image, voice, presentation, statement, recording, or substantive work publicly, promotionally, or as a testimonial.

Public, advertising, testimonial, or promotional use requires separate permission describing the intended use. Declining such permission does not affect ordinary cohort participation.

16. Participant contact, solicitation, and outside communications

Participants may communicate with one another voluntarily and respectfully and may exchange contact information by mutual choice.

A participant may not use cohort access, participant information, or group communications for unsolicited selling, recruiting, fundraising, repeated unwanted contact, mass messaging, prospecting, or adding another participant to a mailing, marketing, sales, recruiting, or promotional list without that participant’s express consent.

Message & Method is not responsible for private communications, transactions, professional relationships, or other arrangements between participants outside the program.

Conduct outside the formal sessions may still be addressed under these Cohort Terms when it creates a privacy, harassment, safety, security, solicitation, or disruption concern connected to the cohort.

17. Professional conduct

Participants must engage professionally, respectfully, and constructively. Harassment, discrimination, threats, intimidation, retaliation, impersonation, exploitation, intentional disruption, unauthorized recording, confidentiality violations, credential sharing, or unlawful conduct are prohibited.

Participants must follow reasonable session instructions, time limits, speaking rotations, technology requirements, and feedback guidelines.

Peer feedback must be delivered respectfully and in good faith. Peer comments reflect the individual participant’s perspective and do not necessarily represent the views or professional judgment of Message & Method.

18. Warnings, removal, suspension, and termination

Depending on the circumstances, Message & Method may issue a warning, restrict a feature, mute or remove a participant from a session, alter participation privileges, suspend cohort access, remove the participant from the live cohort, or terminate the enrollment.

Message & Method may act immediately where conduct presents a safety, privacy, confidentiality, legal, security, fraud, infringement, harassment, or substantial disruption risk. In other circumstances, Message & Method may provide notice and an opportunity to correct the issue where reasonable.

Removal from the live cohort for attendance, preparation, participation, or conduct concerns does not automatically terminate Self-Directed Program access unless Message & Method states otherwise.

Serious misconduct, intentional infringement, unauthorized recording or distribution, credential sharing, fraud, unlawful conduct, or another material breach may result in termination of both cohort participation and Self-Directed Program access.

Suspension, removal, or termination for participant breach does not create a refund, credit, transfer, or cancellation right except where applicable law requires otherwise. Remaining installment obligations continue unless Message & Method expressly agrees otherwise in writing.

19. Voluntary withdrawal and abandonment

A participant may stop attending or voluntarily withdraw from live participation, but withdrawal does not cancel the purchase, create refund eligibility, or eliminate unpaid installment obligations.

Unless access is separately terminated for breach, a withdrawing participant may continue to use the Self-Directed Program for the remainder of the applicable 12-month access period.

Live-session opportunities, speaking turns, feedback, and cohort support that occur after withdrawal are forfeited and are not converted into private coaching, credits, refunds, or future services.

Repeated absence, failure to respond, or failure to participate may be treated as practical withdrawal, but Message & Method is not required to formally close or cancel the participant’s enrollment.

20. Transfers

Enrollment is personal and may not be transferred to another person without prior written approval.

Before the cohort begins, Message & Method may approve a replacement participant if the replacement is a suitable fit, accepts all applicable terms, completes required payment or enrollment steps, and the change does not disrupt the group.

A participant does not have an automatic right to transfer to a later cohort.

Message & Method may approve a future-cohort transfer in its discretion based on timing, availability, participant fit, prior attendance, administrative impact, the reason for the request, and other relevant circumstances.

A transfer may be subject to updated pricing, a transfer fee, revised schedules, different cohort terms, or additional payment if disclosed and accepted before the transfer is completed.

21. Schedule changes

Message & Method may make reasonable adjustments to individual session dates, start times, speaking rotations, facilitators, assignments, meeting platforms, or session formats.

A minor or limited scheduling adjustment does not create a refund or cancellation right.

A change may be considered material if it substantially alters the published cohort start date, recurring meeting day or time, overall program period, or a significant number of scheduled sessions.

If Message & Method makes a material schedule change after confirmed enrollment, the participant may accept the revised schedule, request transfer to an available cohort, or timely decline the revised schedule.

If the participant timely declines a material schedule change, Message & Method will provide an appropriate refund or credit and may terminate associated cohort and Self-Directed Program access. The applicable notice will explain the available options, response deadline, and treatment of any services already provided.

Combining compatible public cohorts is not itself a material schedule change unless it also materially changes the participant’s schedule, published group size, speaking opportunities, or included services.

22. Postponement and cancellation by Message & Method

Message & Method may postpone or cancel a cohort because of insufficient enrollment, serious illness, facilitator unavailability, emergency, platform failure, severe weather, government action, or another operational circumstance.

If a cohort is materially postponed before activation of course access, the participant may accept the revised schedule, request an available transfer or credit, or decline and receive a refund of cohort payments made.

If a cohort is cancelled, the participant may choose a refund of cohort payments made or a credit toward an available alternative, unless applicable law requires a different remedy.

Incidental expenses, travel costs, lost wages, lost business opportunities, and other consequential losses are not reimbursed to the extent permitted by law.

23. Nonrefundable nature of confirmed enrollment

After confirmed enrollment, Guided Cohort purchases are nonrefundable except where Message & Method cancels the offering, the participant timely rejects a material change as provided above, the applicable offer expressly provides another remedy, or applicable law requires a refund.

Change of mind, scheduling conflicts, workload, personal circumstances, dissatisfaction with another participant, missed sessions, missed speaking turns, lack of preparation, voluntary withdrawal, repeated absence, failure to use course access, or failure to complete the program do not create refund eligibility.

The 90-Day Completion-Based Refund Policy for eligible Self-Directed Program purchases does not apply to a Guided Cohort purchase or to the Self-Directed Program access included as part of that cohort purchase.

24. Technology and third-party platforms

Participants need a reliable internet connection, a current browser, a device supporting two-way audio and video, and a suitable environment for participation. A computer or tablet is strongly preferred to a phone.

Message & Method may use third-party platforms for video meetings, recordings, email, scheduling, file delivery, hosting, and communications. Availability and performance of those services may be outside Message & Method’s direct control.

A participant experiencing a technical problem should notify Message & Method promptly and make reasonable efforts to reconnect or use an available alternative.

An individual participant’s equipment, internet, audio, video, browser, account, or environmental problem does not require the session to be postponed or repeated.

25. Educational nature and results

Guided Cohorts provide education, practice, feedback, peer learning, coaching, and accountability. They do not provide medical, mental-health, legal, financial, employment, or other licensed professional advice.

No particular speaking improvement, confidence level, audience response, career result, promotion, income, sale, acceptance, funding decision, or other outcome is guaranteed.

Results depend on preparation, attendance, participation, practice, judgment, implementation, prior experience, personal circumstances, and factors outside Message & Method’s control.

Participants retain final authority and responsibility for deciding whether and how to apply any strategy, feedback, exercise, recommendation, peer input, or other guidance encountered through the cohort. Participants are responsible for evaluating its appropriateness to their own circumstances, audiences, professional environments, and objectives.

26. Survival

Provisions concerning payment, confidentiality, recordings, intellectual property, participant conduct, participant content, privacy, disclaimers, liability, dispute terms, and other provisions that by their nature should continue will survive the end of the cohort, withdrawal, removal, expiration, or termination.

27. Contact

Questions about cohort access, schedules, participation, or support may be sent to [email protected].

Legal notices may be sent to [email protected].


Private Coaching Terms

Effective 2026-09-23 · Version 2

1. Scope and relationship to other terms

These Private Coaching Terms (“Coaching Terms”) apply to Message & Method Private Coaching engagements. They supplement the Terms of Enrollment & Use, Privacy Policy, applicable proposal, checkout or payment information, and any other written terms presented before the engagement begins.

If these Coaching Terms conflict with the general Terms of Enrollment & Use, these more specific Coaching Terms control for the Private Coaching engagement. A separately signed proposal, statement of work, organizational agreement, or other written agreement controls to the extent of a direct conflict.

“Client” means the person or organization that purchases or contracts for the engagement. “Participant” means the individual receiving coaching. When the client and participant are the same person, both terms refer to that person.

2. Individually scoped engagements

Each Private Coaching engagement is individually scoped. The accepted proposal or written agreement will identify the services included, number and length of sessions, engagement period, schedule, fees, payment terms, between-session support, deliverables, recording arrangements, travel requirements, and any special conditions.

Unless the proposal states otherwise, the standard starting framework for Private Coaching consists of eight 60-minute one-to-one coaching sessions, 12 months of access to the complete Self-Directed Program, individualized assignments and feedback, and the level of between-session support described in these Coaching Terms.

The starting price displayed on the Message & Method website reflects this general level of engagement. The actual scope and price may vary based on duration, frequency, goals, support level, deliverables, schedule, format, preparation, travel, urgency, and other engagement-specific requirements.

No particular session, deliverable, support service, review, writing service, production service, or other benefit is included unless identified in the accepted proposal or applicable offer.

3. Coaching methodology and Self-Directed Program access

Private Coaching ordinarily includes access to the complete Message & Method Self-Directed Program because the program contains the educational framework, concepts, exercises, assessments, and tools used throughout the coaching relationship.

The Self-Directed Program is intended to function as a course of study between live coaching sessions and is not merely an optional bonus or separate promotional inclusion.

Unless the proposal states otherwise, Self-Directed Program access begins after the coaching agreement is accepted and the required payment is received. Access continues for 12 months from activation.

The participant is responsible for completing assigned lessons, exercises, speaking tasks, preparation, and other work reasonably connected to the coaching process.

Expiration or termination of coaching sessions does not automatically extend the Self-Directed Program access period, and expiration of platform access does not automatically extend the coaching engagement period.

4. Acceptance, payment, and commencement

A Private Coaching engagement begins only after the applicable proposal or agreement is accepted and the required payment, deposit, or first installment is received.

The accepted proposal will identify the total price, payment schedule, due dates, included services, and any expenses or third-party charges payable by the client.

If an installment arrangement is offered, the installments divide a fixed purchase obligation and do not create a cancel-anytime subscription. The full disclosed balance remains due unless the proposal expressly provides otherwise, Message & Method approves a written change, or applicable law requires another result.

Message & Method may suspend coaching, support, deliverables, scheduling, or course access while an amount remains overdue.

5. Scheduling and engagement period

The proposal will identify the engagement period and the anticipated coaching schedule. All sessions, reviews, support, and other included services must be used within that engagement period unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.

The client and participant are responsible for reviewing the proposed schedule before acceptance and for promptly identifying known conflicts.

Private Coaching does not create an indefinite right to schedule unused sessions at any future time. Unused services expire at the end of the stated engagement period unless Message & Method agrees in writing to an extension.

Message & Method may make reasonable scheduling adjustments and will communicate material changes as soon as practical.

6. Rescheduling by the participant

A participant should request rescheduling at least 24 hours before the scheduled session start time.

A request made at least 24 hours in advance will be considered in good faith but remains subject to mutual availability and the remaining engagement period.

If another workable time cannot be identified, the session may be treated as used and will not automatically extend the engagement period.

A cancellation or rescheduling request made with less than 24 hours’ notice may result in the session being treated as used, unless Message & Method agrees otherwise.

Message & Method may waive or modify these consequences in its discretion based on emergencies, illness, prior history, schedule availability, or other circumstances, but accommodation is not guaranteed and does not establish a continuing exception.

7. Late arrival and missed sessions

Coaching sessions begin and end at the scheduled times.

If the participant arrives late, the session will ordinarily proceed for the remaining scheduled time and will still end at the original end time.

Message & Method may accommodate additional time or another arrangement when practical but is not required to extend the session, delay another commitment, or reschedule the lost time.

If the participant has not joined or made contact within 15 minutes after the scheduled start time, Message & Method may treat the session as missed and used.

A missed or shortened session caused by the participant does not create a right to a refund, credit, replacement session, access extension, or reduction of the remaining payment obligation.

8. Rescheduling by Message & Method

If Message & Method must cancel or reschedule a session, it will make a good-faith effort to provide reasonable notice and arrange a replacement time without reducing the participant’s purchased coaching time.

If a replacement cannot be reasonably scheduled within the engagement period, Message & Method may extend the engagement, provide a credit, substitute another qualified coach with the client’s agreement, or provide another proportionate remedy.

A temporary scheduling change does not automatically create a refund right.

9. Participant inactivity and released appointments

Participant inactivity does not automatically cancel the engagement or eliminate paid but unused services before the engagement period ends.

If the participant is inactive, unresponsive, or not meaningfully participating for 30 consecutive days, Message & Method may provide notice and release future calendar reservations held for that participant.

Releasing reserved appointments does not automatically terminate the engagement. If the participant later resumes communication, Message & Method will make a good-faith effort to schedule remaining services within the original engagement period.

Message & Method is not required to restore previously held times, displace other clients, provide priority scheduling, or extend the engagement period because of participant inactivity.

If the engagement period ends before remaining services can be scheduled, those services expire unless Message & Method agrees otherwise in writing.

10. Between-session support

Unless the proposal states otherwise, standard Private Coaching includes reasonable between-session support through the designated support channel.

Responses are ordinarily provided within two business days. This is a normal response target rather than a guarantee of immediate availability.

Between-session support does not include continuous access, emergency response, evening or weekend availability, unlimited messaging, unlimited document review, substantial unscheduled consulting, rush work, or creation of additional deliverables unless the proposal expressly includes those services.

Message & Method may use email, a private support form, a client portal, or another designated channel for support requests.

The proposal may limit the number, length, type, frequency, or total review time of scripts, slides, recordings, documents, or other materials submitted between sessions.

Unused support capacity does not accumulate beyond the engagement period and does not convert into cash, refunds, credits, additional sessions, or future services.

11. Preparation and participant responsibilities

The participant is responsible for completing agreed preparation, attending sessions ready to work, and providing requested scripts, recordings, slides, background information, or other materials by any stated deadline.

If materials are submitted late, advance review may not be possible. The session may proceed without advance review, or the review may be deferred or treated as additional work.

The participant is responsible for the truth, accuracy, originality, authorization, legal clearance, and final use of the participant’s speeches, presentations, claims, examples, data, quotations, visual aids, and other content.

The participant must obtain any permissions needed to share employer, client, confidential, copyrighted, personal, or third-party material.

Message & Method may rely on factual and background information provided by the client or participant and is not responsible for independently verifying every factual assertion unless verification is expressly included in the scope.

12. Scope of coaching and additional work

Services and deliverables are limited to the scope stated in the accepted proposal.

Coaching may include strategy, structure, editing, rehearsal, feedback, practice, planning, and other services expressly identified in the proposal.

Speechwriting, slide design, research, production, extensive editing, content development, event support, rush work, travel, or other specialized services are included only when expressly stated.

A request made after acceptance that expands the number of sessions, level of review, deliverables, research, writing, design, production, travel, turnaround, or other responsibilities is outside the original scope.

Message & Method is not required to perform expanded or additional work unless the parties agree in writing to the revised scope, fees, timing, and any other affected terms.

Email or another written electronic communication may constitute approval of additional work when it clearly identifies the added service and associated charge.

13. Session recordings

Message & Method may record coaching sessions and may make recordings available to the participant for review.

Recording and recording availability are intended conveniences and are not guaranteed.

A session may not be recorded, and a recording may be incomplete, corrupted, delayed, lost, removed, or unavailable because of technical failure, data loss, privacy concerns, storage limitations, service-provider failure, restoration from backup, or other circumstances.

Recording failure, loss, corruption, delay, or unavailability does not by itself create a right to a refund, replacement session, credit, access extension, or other remedy.

Whether a recording may be streamed, downloaded, retained, or accessed for a particular period depends on the technology and terms stated for the engagement.

The participant may not independently record, screen-record, audio-record, transcribe, photograph, or use an automated meeting assistant, artificial-intelligence note taker, browser extension, or other recording or transcription service during a coaching session without prior permission.

An accessibility-related recording or transcription request should be raised in advance so that Message & Method can consider an appropriate alternative.

14. Confidentiality

Message & Method will treat non-public coaching information as confidential and will use it only as reasonably necessary to provide, administer, secure, support, and document the engagement.

Confidential information may be disclosed to service providers acting on behalf of Message & Method, professional advisers, or others where reasonably necessary for the engagement, subject to appropriate confidentiality or privacy obligations.

Confidentiality does not prevent disclosure required by law, court order, legal process, professional obligation, safety concern, prevention of harm, enforcement of these terms, or protection of rights.

If the client requires a mutual nondisclosure agreement, special confidentiality provisions, regulated-data terms, restricted systems, or particular security requirements, those arrangements must be agreed in writing before the relevant information is shared.

The participant should not submit trade secrets, protected health information, payment-card information, government identifiers, export-controlled material, privileged information, or third-party confidential information unless the applicable agreement and systems expressly permit it.

15. Employer-sponsored or organization-sponsored coaching

An employer, organization, or other sponsor may purchase Private Coaching for a participant.

Before the engagement begins, the proposal or agreement should identify the client, participant, payment responsibility, scope, ownership of commissioned deliverables, and what attendance, scheduling, progress, completion, or other information may be shared with the sponsor.

Unless the written agreement states otherwise, substantive coaching discussions, personal reflections, draft materials, feedback, and session content remain confidential and will not be reported to the sponsor merely because the sponsor paid for the engagement.

Message & Method may provide administrative information reasonably necessary to manage the engagement, such as scheduling status, attendance, completion, payment, or use of purchased services, as permitted by the applicable agreement and Privacy Policy.

16. Virtual, local in-person, and travel-based services

Private Coaching may be delivered virtually, locally in person, through travel to another location, or through a hybrid arrangement, as stated in the proposal.

Where an engagement requires travel, the proposal will identify the categories of travel-related charges payable by the client.

Travel-related charges may include travel time, mileage, tolls, parking, airfare, rail travel, lodging, ground transportation, meals, venue charges, equipment, shipping, and other reasonable expenses associated with delivery.

Unless the proposal requires item-by-item approval, Message & Method may make reasonable arrangements within the agreed travel framework without obtaining separate approval for each individual expense.

The proposal may use a fixed travel fee, allowance, estimate, expense cap, actual-expense arrangement, travel-time charge, or another agreed method.

Local in-person services may be subject to mileage, tolls, parking, travel-time, venue, equipment, or similar charges as stated in the proposal.

If travel plans are cancelled or changed because of the client, the client remains responsible for nonrefundable or nonrecoverable travel commitments incurred under the agreed arrangement.

17. Client-created materials

The client and participant retain ownership of their original speeches, scripts, ideas, source materials, recordings, presentation content, and other materials they create or provide, subject to any rights belonging to third parties.

The client represents that it has the rights and permissions necessary for materials it supplies and is responsible for claims arising from unauthorized, infringing, unlawful, or improperly disclosed client-supplied material.

The client grants Message & Method the limited permission necessary to review, edit, reproduce, display, transmit, store, and process those materials for purposes of providing the engagement.

18. Commissioned deliverables and ownership

The proposal will identify any commissioned deliverables and the rights the client will receive in them.

Unless the proposal states otherwise, upon full payment the client receives a broad, perpetual license to use, reproduce, display, perform, modify, and distribute the final commissioned deliverables for the client’s own lawful business, professional, organizational, or personal purposes.

Any assignment of copyright or other ownership rights must be expressly stated in the proposal and becomes effective only after full payment.

Delivery of a final work product does not include editable source files, project files, working files, drafts, unused concepts, internal notes, production files, software, proprietary templates, course materials, methods, prompts, systems, or tools unless the proposal expressly includes them.

The proposal may specify the delivery format of a commissioned work, including PDF, presentation file, document file, video file, image file, editable source file, or another format.

19. Retained methods and pre-existing materials

Message & Method retains ownership of its pre-existing and independently developed curriculum, methods, frameworks, templates, tools, processes, prompts, assessments, systems, course materials, software, working methods, general know-how, and reusable components.

Use of retained Message & Method materials within a commissioned deliverable does not transfer ownership of those underlying materials.

The client may use the final deliverable under the rights granted in the proposal, but may not extract, resell, teach, license, distribute, or commercialize Message & Method’s underlying course materials, templates, tools, or methods as standalone products unless expressly authorized.

20. Third-party materials and licenses

A deliverable may incorporate third-party materials such as photographs, illustrations, fonts, music, video, quotations, data, software, templates, or other licensed content.

Third-party materials remain subject to their own licenses and are not transferred beyond the rights permitted by those licenses.

The client is responsible for complying with usage restrictions disclosed in the proposal, deliverable documentation, license information, or accompanying materials.

Message & Method will identify material usage restrictions known to apply to third-party assets it obtains for the engagement, but does not guarantee that a third-party license permits every possible future use, territory, medium, duration, audience, modification, or distribution method.

The client is responsible for obtaining any expanded rights needed for uses outside the permitted scope.

21. Post-delivery use and client responsibility

Once a final deliverable is delivered and placed under the client’s control, the client is responsible for its publication, distribution, performance, modification, updating, combination with other materials, regulatory use, factual accuracy, and use outside the purposes or rights stated in the proposal.

The client is responsible for claims arising from unauthorized modification, use, distribution, licensing, or publication after delivery, except to the extent caused by Message & Method’s own breach, infringement, negligence, or wrongdoing.

Message & Method is not responsible for changes made by the client or another party after delivery, or for reliance on information that later becomes outdated, inaccurate, unlawful, or inappropriate.

22. Revisions and approval

The proposal may identify the number, type, or period of included revisions for commissioned deliverables.

Revisions must remain within the agreed scope. A request that changes the objective, audience, format, content volume, creative direction, technical specifications, or approved concept may be treated as additional work.

The client is responsible for reviewing deliverables and providing timely, consolidated, and authorized feedback.

Approval of a final deliverable confirms acceptance of the work as presented, subject to any unresolved written correction or obligation.

23. Right to decline proposed work

Message & Method may decline a proposed engagement for any lawful reason, including lack of fit, availability, timing, scope, conflict of interest, safety concern, requests outside our competence, or unwillingness to participate in unlawful, deceptive, infringing, discriminatory, abusive, exploitative, or unethical work.

Message & Method is not required to provide a detailed explanation for declining a proposed engagement, except where required by law or necessary to address an existing payment or contractual obligation.

24. Termination for client breach or misconduct

Message & Method may suspend or terminate an active engagement for good cause, including nonpayment, material breach, harassment, threats, dishonesty, fraud, repeated noncooperation, unsafe conduct, unlawful or deceptive requested work, infringement concerns, conflict of interest, misuse of services, or circumstances that make continued performance impracticable or professionally inappropriate.

Where reasonable, Message & Method may provide notice and an opportunity to correct the issue before termination. Immediate suspension or termination may occur where the circumstances present a safety, legal, security, fraud, confidentiality, harassment, or substantial disruption risk.

If termination results from the client’s or participant’s material breach or misconduct, amounts attributable to completed sessions, preparation, reserved time, delivered services, work performed, nonrecoverable commitments, and third-party expenses remain nonrefundable to the extent permitted by law.

Any refund for undelivered services after termination for breach will be determined based on the remaining material value of the engagement, the cause of termination, costs already incurred, and applicable law.

Remaining installment obligations may continue unless Message & Method agrees otherwise in writing or applicable law requires another result.

25. Termination by Message & Method without client breach

Message & Method may end an engagement for reasons not caused by the client, including serious illness, incapacity, unexpected conflict, business interruption, or another circumstance that makes continued performance impracticable.

Where practical, Message & Method may offer rescheduling, an extension, a qualified substitute, a transition, a credit, or another reasonable alternative.

If Message & Method terminates the engagement for reasons not caused by the client and cannot provide a reasonable substitute or transition, the client will receive a prorated refund for material services not delivered.

The prorated amount may account for sessions completed, preparation performed, deliverables completed, work in progress, course access already activated, support already provided, nonrecoverable third-party expenses, and other material services already delivered.

A prorated refund will not include compensation for incidental costs, lost opportunities, lost income, travel arrangements made independently by the client, or consequential losses to the extent permitted by law.

26. Client cancellation and nonrefundable nature of coaching

Private Coaching purchases are nonrefundable except where the accepted proposal expressly states otherwise, Message & Method cannot deliver a material undelivered portion, these Coaching Terms provide a remedy, or applicable law requires a refund.

Change of mind, scheduling difficulty, workload, personal circumstances, failure to prepare, failure to attend, dissatisfaction with the participant’s own progress, voluntary withdrawal, inactivity, or failure to use included services does not create refund eligibility.

Time already delivered, preparation performed, work completed, calendar capacity reserved, course access activated, and nonrecoverable expenses remain nonrefundable to the extent permitted by law.

The 90-Day Completion-Based Refund Policy for eligible individual Self-Directed Program purchases does not apply to Private Coaching or to Self-Directed Program access included as part of a Private Coaching engagement.

27. No guaranteed results and participant responsibility

Private Coaching provides education, expertise, candid feedback, structured practice, strategic guidance, and individualized support.

Recommendations, feedback, strategies, exercises, and other guidance provided during coaching are offered for the participant’s consideration. The participant retains final authority and responsibility for decisions, content, delivery, publication, communication, and implementation, including whether and how any coaching guidance is used.

Because Message & Method does not control the participant’s circumstances or implementation, no particular speaking improvement, confidence level, audience response, keynote acceptance, funding decision, sale, promotion, media result, professional advancement, income, or other external outcome is guaranteed.

Results depend on preparation, participation, practice, judgment, implementation, prior experience, timing, audience conditions, organizational circumstances, and other factors outside Message & Method’s control.

28. Educational and professional boundaries

Private Coaching is an educational and consulting service. It is not medical care, psychotherapy, legal advice, tax advice, financial advice, employment representation, or another licensed professional service.

Message & Method may recommend that the client consult an attorney, accountant, healthcare provider, mental-health professional, employment adviser, licensing specialist, or another qualified professional where the circumstances reasonably call for specialized advice.

29. Technology and service availability

Virtual coaching requires compatible equipment, a reliable internet connection, working audio and video, and a suitable environment.

Message & Method may use third-party platforms for meetings, recordings, scheduling, support, file delivery, course access, communication, and payment processing.

Temporary technical failures, maintenance, platform outages, recording loss, or service-provider interruptions do not automatically create a refund or replacement-session right.

If a material technical failure prevents a substantial portion of a scheduled session from occurring, Message & Method may provide additional time, rescheduling, a credit, or another proportionate adjustment based on the circumstances.

30. Survival

Provisions concerning payment, confidentiality, intellectual property, commissioned deliverables, third-party materials, participant content, post-delivery responsibility, recordings, disclaimers, liability, indemnification, disputes, and other provisions that by their nature should continue will survive expiration, cancellation, or termination of the engagement.

31. Contact

Questions regarding scheduling, support, course access, or engagement administration may be sent to [email protected].

Legal notices may be sent to [email protected].


Terms for Organizational Engagements

Effective 2026-09-23 · Version 2

1. Scope and relationship to other terms

These Terms for Organizational Engagements (“Organizational Terms”) apply when a business, nonprofit organization, educational institution, government entity, association, agency, or other organization purchases or contracts for Message & Method services, program access, training, coaching, or related deliverables.

These Organizational Terms supplement the applicable proposal, statement of work, order form, invoice, checkout terms, Terms of Enrollment & Use, Privacy Policy, Guided Cohort Terms, Private Coaching Terms, and any other written terms incorporated into the engagement.

The accepted proposal or other engagement-specific agreement controls the scope, schedule, participants, deliverables, fees, payment terms, cancellation terms, and other commercial details of the engagement. If the proposal directly conflicts with these Organizational Terms, the proposal controls. Product-specific terms control over these Organizational Terms for matters unique to the applicable product or service, unless the proposal expressly states otherwise.

“Organization” means the entity purchasing or contracting for the engagement. “Participant” means an individual receiving program access, training, coaching, or another service through the engagement. “Organizational Contact” means the person authorized by the organization to communicate instructions, approvals, participant information, and administrative decisions.

2. Authority to contract

The person accepting a proposal, placing an order, signing an agreement, submitting a purchase order, or otherwise committing the organization represents that they are authorized to bind the organization.

The organization is responsible for ensuring that its internal approvals, purchasing requirements, funding, and signatory authority are complete before accepting the engagement.

A failure to obtain an internal approval, reimbursement, budget allocation, purchase order, or other organizational authorization does not cancel or reduce an otherwise valid payment or contractual obligation.

3. Individually scoped organizational engagements

Organizational services are individually scoped. The proposal may include named Self-Directed Program enrollments, a private Guided Cohort, employer-sponsored Private Coaching, a keynote, conference session, workshop, intensive, multi-session program, consulting, commissioned materials, or a combination of services.

No particular topic, agenda, duration, number of participants, session, review, deliverable, customization, travel arrangement, recording right, support service, follow-up service, or other benefit is included unless stated in the accepted proposal or applicable offer.

Keynotes, workshops, intensives, and other organizational programs may be developed or adapted for the particular engagement. Advertising an available format does not guarantee availability for a particular date, audience, objective, budget, location, or scope.

4. Proposals and order of precedence

The proposal or statement of work will ordinarily identify the selected services, objectives, participant capacity, schedule, delivery method, included materials, responsibilities, fees, payment terms, expenses, cancellation terms, and any special requirements.

A purchase order or procurement document issued by the organization is an administrative instrument unless Message & Method expressly agrees in writing that specified terms in that document amend the engagement.

Preprinted, linked, incorporated, or electronic terms contained in a purchase order, vendor portal, payment system, procurement platform, or other organization-generated document do not amend the engagement merely because Message & Method receives, acknowledges, or processes that document.

No oral statement or informal discussion modifies the accepted proposal unless the change is confirmed in writing by authorized representatives of both parties.

5. Named Self-Directed Program enrollments

An organization may purchase individual Self-Directed Program enrollments for employees, members, students, contractors, or other eligible participants.

Each enrollment is for one individual participant and is not a shared, floating, simultaneous-use, or concurrent-use account after activation.

Participants may not share login credentials, permit another person to use their account, or divide one enrollment among multiple users.

The proposal may specify the number of enrollments purchased, pricing, participant eligibility, assignment process, activation schedule, administrative support, reporting, and any permitted replacement or reassignment rights.

6. Unassigned seats and participant assignment

Organizational program seats may initially be purchased without identifying the individual participant who will use each seat.

The organization may assign an unused seat to an eligible participant through the process stated in the proposal, enrollment instructions, or administrative communications.

The organization is responsible for providing accurate participant names, email addresses, and other information reasonably required to establish access.

Message & Method may create participant accounts manually, provide organizational administration tools, send invitation links, or use another assignment method depending on the systems available for the engagement.

The availability of self-service administration, automated invitations, dashboards, group-management tools, reporting tools, or other particular technology is not guaranteed unless stated in the proposal.

7. Seat reassignment

Before a participant activates or begins using an enrollment, the organization may request that the unused seat be assigned to a different eligible participant.

Once a participant has accessed the program, completed material, submitted work, created or stored content, used an assessment or tool, or otherwise begun using the enrollment, the seat is considered used and may not ordinarily be reassigned.

A seat does not become reusable merely because the original participant stops participating, leaves the organization, changes roles, fails to complete the program, or no longer needs access.

Message & Method may approve an exception in its discretion where the original participant’s use was negligible or unusual circumstances apply, but reassignment after use begins is not guaranteed.

Any reassignment rights expressly stated in the proposal control over this section.

8. Phased activation and assignment deadline

The proposal may allow an organization to purchase seats for assignment and activation over time.

Unless the proposal states otherwise, all purchased seats must be assigned and activated within 12 months after the organizational purchase date.

Each participant’s individual Self-Directed Program access period ordinarily begins when that participant’s enrollment is activated and continues for 12 months, unless the proposal states otherwise.

A participant list or valid activation request received before the assignment deadline will be treated as timely if Message & Method completes the administrative activation within a reasonable processing period.

Seats that are not assigned and activated within the applicable assignment period expire and are not refundable, creditable, exchangeable, or transferable to another purchase unless the proposal expressly provides otherwise.

The proposal may provide a shorter or longer assignment period. Where it differs from the default stated here, the proposal controls.

9. Volume pricing and unused seats

Pricing may reflect the total quantity of seats or services purchased, including seats intended for later use.

Failure to assign or use all purchased seats does not create a refund, credit, extension, or retroactive price adjustment.

If pricing was based on a volume commitment, the organization remains responsible for the agreed purchase quantity even if its hiring, staffing, participation, budget, or training needs later change.

Any right to reduce quantities, carry seats forward, exchange seats for another service, or receive a credit must be stated in the proposal.

10. Private organizational Guided Cohorts

A private organizational Guided Cohort provides a shared cohort experience for a group associated with the organization.

Unless the proposal states otherwise, a standard private Guided Cohort is limited to eight participants.

Larger groups may require multiple cohorts, a modified participation structure, a workshop, or another format.

The proposal will identify the cohort schedule, participant capacity, speaking opportunities, support, recordings, course access, and any organizational customization.

The Guided Cohort Terms apply to participant attendance, speaking rotations, recordings, support, conduct, missed sessions, and other cohort-specific matters unless the proposal states otherwise.

A private organizational cohort will not be combined with another organization’s cohort unless the organization agrees in writing.

11. Employer-sponsored Private Coaching

An organization may sponsor Private Coaching for one or more participants.

Each participant ordinarily has a separately scoped coaching relationship even when several coaching engagements are included in one organizational proposal.

The proposal will identify the contracting organization, participant or participants, included services, schedule, engagement period, payment responsibility, sponsor reporting, and any commissioned deliverables.

The Private Coaching Terms apply to scheduling, rescheduling, confidentiality, recordings, support, deliverables, participant responsibilities, and other coaching-specific matters unless the proposal states otherwise.

Payment by an organization does not automatically give the organization access to private coaching conversations, assessments, drafts, participant recordings, journal entries, or individualized feedback.

12. Workshops, keynotes, intensives, and other custom programs

Organizational engagements may include keynotes, conference sessions, workshops, intensives, facilitated practice, multi-session programs, or other custom learning experiences.

The proposal will identify the topic, intended audience, duration, format, participant capacity, degree of interaction, preparation, materials, technology, travel, and follow-up services included.

A keynote or large-audience presentation does not provide the same level of individual practice, coaching, assessment, or feedback as a small-group program unless those services are expressly included.

Custom development is limited to the scope stated in the proposal. Message & Method is not required to create an unrelated curriculum, proprietary organizational training system, or additional program beyond the agreed scope.

13. Fees and payment terms

Fees, deposits, invoice dates, installment amounts, milestone payments, and payment deadlines are stated in the proposal, order form, or invoice.

Depending on the engagement, payment may be due upon acceptance, before activation or delivery, according to stated milestones, or under approved organizational payment terms such as net 15, net 30, net 60, or another agreed schedule.

Providing access, reserving dates, beginning preparation, incurring expenses, or delivering services before payment is received does not waive the organization’s payment obligation or modify the agreed due date.

The organization may not withhold, reduce, offset, or delay payment because of an internal approval process, reimbursement procedure, purchase-order delay, participant nonuse, or dispute with a participant unless Message & Method agrees in writing or applicable law requires otherwise.

Message & Method may suspend preparation, delivery, participant access, support, scheduling, recordings, reporting, or deliverables while an amount remains overdue.

The organization is responsible for reasonable collection costs, returned-payment charges, and other amounts permitted by law and stated in the applicable agreement.

14. Deposits

An organizational engagement may require a deposit before dates are reserved, preparation begins, participant access is activated, expenses are incurred, or services commence.

Unless the proposal states otherwise, a customary starting framework for custom organizational work may be a deposit of 50% upon acceptance, with the remaining balance due according to the proposal.

The proposal may use a different deposit, milestone, installment, prepaid-seat, or invoicing arrangement based on the nature, timing, scope, and procurement requirements of the engagement.

A deposit is applied toward the total engagement fee and is subject to the cancellation and postponement terms stated in the proposal.

15. Taxes and organizational purchasing requirements

The organization is responsible for applicable sales, use, excise, withholding, value-added, or similar taxes, excluding taxes imposed on Message & Method’s net income.

If the organization claims an exemption, it must provide valid documentation before invoicing or payment processing where reasonably required.

The organization must disclose procurement, insurance, security, accessibility, data-processing, vendor-onboarding, invoicing, payment, and contracting requirements early in the consultation and proposal process.

Additional organizational requirements may affect feasibility, systems, schedule, staffing, scope, price, or whether Message & Method can accept the engagement.

Participation in a consultation, bidding, vendor-registration, or procurement process does not constitute acceptance of every requested term, platform, insurance limit, security requirement, indemnification obligation, payment condition, or contracting provision.

16. Scheduling and reserved capacity

Dates and times are reserved only after the applicable agreement is accepted and any required deposit or advance payment is received.

Message & Method may decline to hold a proposed date while acceptance, payment, procurement, or contracting remains incomplete.

The organization is responsible for reviewing the schedule before acceptance and promptly identifying known conflicts, blackout dates, holidays, shutdowns, participant availability issues, and internal approval requirements.

Reserved dates, preparation periods, facilitator capacity, and participant-access windows have economic value even when the organization later chooses not to use them.

17. Cancellation terms

Each proposal will state the cancellation terms applicable to the engagement. The applicable schedule may reflect the format, preparation required, notice provided, reserved capacity, travel commitments, third-party costs, and likelihood that reserved time can be rebooked.

Unless the proposal states otherwise, cancellation by the organization does not entitle it to the return of a deposit or to a refund for completed preparation, services performed, participant access already activated, nonrecoverable expenses, third-party commitments, or reserved services that cannot reasonably be rebooked.

If a proposal does not contain a specific cancellation schedule, the organization remains responsible for work performed, preparation completed, access delivered, nonrecoverable expenses, third-party commitments, and the reasonable value of reserved capacity that cannot be rebooked.

Any remaining amount or credit will be determined reasonably based on the circumstances, work completed, timing, resulting loss, and applicable law.

18. Postponement and rescheduling

Message & Method will consider organization-requested postponements and schedule changes in good faith, but any change is subject to mutual availability and written agreement.

A requested postponement or rescheduling does not automatically reduce the fee, extend the engagement period, preserve the original delivery plan, or eliminate payment for preparation, reserved time, travel commitments, third-party expenses, or work already performed.

If a mutually acceptable replacement date cannot be identified, the requested change may be treated as a cancellation by the organization under the applicable proposal terms.

A substantial change in date, location, delivery method, audience, participant count, session duration, or scope may require a revised proposal, additional fees, or new payment terms.

The organization remains responsible for nonrefundable or nonrecoverable expenses incurred under the original plan.

19. Interruptions to cohorts and sequential programs

Cohorts, coaching programs, and other sequential engagements are designed around continuity, preparation, practice, and progression over time.

An organization-requested interruption or extended postponement after a program begins may disrupt the educational sequence and participant readiness.

Resuming an interrupted program may require revised pacing, modified assignments, renewed participant preparation, a reorientation or catch-up session, additional facilitation, a new schedule, or other changes.

Additional preparation, sessions, administration, or redesign caused by an interruption may involve additional fees.

Message & Method is not required to resume a materially interrupted engagement under the original schedule, scope, or delivery plan when doing so would undermine the educational structure or require substantial additional work.

20. Changes requested by the organization

Services and deliverables are limited to the accepted scope.

A request that changes the topic, objective, audience, participant count, schedule, duration, location, technology, materials, preparation, customization, review, deliverables, travel, reporting, security obligations, or other responsibility may be treated as a change in scope.

Message & Method is not required to perform changed or additional work unless the parties agree in writing to the revised scope, fees, timing, and other affected terms.

Email or another written electronic communication may constitute approval of a change when it clearly identifies the additional work and associated charge.

21. Organization responsibilities

The organization is responsible for providing timely information, approvals, participant details, materials, logistics, access, facilities, technology, and cooperation reasonably required for delivery.

The organization must designate an authorized contact who can make timely scheduling, scope, participant, payment, and administrative decisions.

The organization is responsible for communicating relevant schedules, expectations, technology requirements, access instructions, conduct requirements, and preparation obligations to participants.

The organization must ensure that participants are eligible adults unless a different arrangement is expressly approved in writing.

The organization is responsible for obtaining any consent, employment authorization, release, notice, or other permission required for participant enrollment, sponsor reporting, use of organizational materials, recording, or participation.

Client-caused delay, incomplete information, late approvals, unavailable personnel, inaccessible facilities, technology failures, or other failures to provide required cooperation may affect the schedule, scope, effectiveness, and cost of the engagement.

22. Facilities, technology, and event logistics

For in-person engagements, the organization is responsible for providing a safe, accessible, professional, and reasonably suitable location unless the proposal assigns that responsibility to Message & Method.

The organization is responsible for any agreed room configuration, seating, display, projection, sound, internet access, power, lighting, microphones, staging, accessibility arrangements, security, parking, loading access, and on-site support.

For virtual engagements, participants must have compatible devices, reliable internet access, working audio and video where required, and an environment reasonably suitable for participation.

Message & Method is not responsible for reduced quality, delay, or inability to deliver caused by facilities, systems, platforms, security restrictions, internet service, or technology controlled by the organization or participants.

If a material technical or facility failure prevents delivery, the parties will make a good-faith effort to identify a proportionate adjustment, which may include a revised format, delay, replacement time, credit, or rescheduling.

23. Participant conduct

The organization and participants must maintain a professional, respectful, lawful, and reasonably safe learning environment.

Harassment, threats, discrimination, deliberate disruption, unauthorized solicitation, unlawful conduct, misuse of confidential information, unauthorized recording, account sharing, or infringement of intellectual-property rights is prohibited.

Message & Method may remove a participant, suspend access, stop a session, or terminate an engagement where conduct creates a material safety, legal, confidentiality, security, harassment, or disruption concern.

Removal of a participant for misconduct does not create a right to a refund, replacement seat, replacement session, or reduction of the organization’s payment obligation.

24. Participant substitutions

Participant substitutions are permitted only as stated in the proposal or applicable product-specific terms.

A workshop or event attendee may ordinarily be replaced before the engagement without affecting the fee, provided the substitution does not change the agreed participant profile, access requirements, preparation, security, or scope.

A cohort, coaching, or course participant may not ordinarily be replaced after meaningful participation, account activation, individual preparation, or substantive services have begun.

A late substitution may require additional onboarding, preparation, administrative work, or fees and may not be accepted where it would disrupt the learning experience.

25. Sponsor reporting and participant privacy

The proposal or agreement will define what attendance, completion, participation, administrative, or progress information may be shared with the organizational sponsor.

Purchasing an engagement does not automatically give the organization access to private assessments, journal responses, coaching conversations, participant recordings, drafts, individual feedback, or other substantive participant content.

Message & Method may provide administrative information reasonably necessary to manage the engagement, such as enrollment, attendance, scheduling, completion status, use of purchased services, or payment information, as permitted by the applicable agreement and Privacy Policy.

Individual participant information may also be disclosed where authorized by the participant, required by law, necessary to address safety or serious misconduct, or otherwise permitted by the applicable agreement.

26. Aggregate organizational reporting

Organization-level observations, themes, trends, recommendations, or aggregate reporting are included only when stated in the proposal.

Where included, such reporting will ordinarily be framed to avoid identifying individual participants unless a different disclosure has been expressly authorized.

Aggregate reporting does not automatically include private journal content, assessments, coaching conversations, participant recordings, drafts, individualized feedback, or confidential personal disclosures.

Requests for additional analysis, written reports, presentations, executive briefings, or recommendations beyond the agreed scope may be treated as additional work.

27. Confidentiality

Each party may receive non-public business, operational, strategic, creative, technical, financial, participant, or other confidential information from the other.

Each party will use the other party’s confidential information only as reasonably necessary for the engagement and will take reasonable measures to protect it from unauthorized use or disclosure.

Confidential information may be disclosed to personnel, contractors, service providers, or professional advisers who reasonably need it for the engagement and are subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations.

Confidentiality obligations do not apply to information that was already lawfully known without restriction, becomes public through no breach, is independently developed without use of the confidential information, is lawfully received from another source, or must be disclosed by law or legal process.

If the organization requires a separate nondisclosure agreement, restricted systems, particular security controls, regulated-data terms, or a data-processing addendum, those requirements must be raised and agreed in writing before the relevant information is shared.

28. Restricted and sensitive information

The organization and participants should not provide trade secrets, protected health information, payment-card information, government identifiers, export-controlled information, privileged communications, highly sensitive personal information, regulated data, or third-party confidential information unless the written agreement and approved systems expressly permit it.

Message & Method’s ordinary course, meeting, email, form, storage, and support systems are not represented as suitable for every regulated or high-security use.

The organization is responsible for redacting or excluding information that is not necessary for the engagement.

29. Organization-supplied materials

The organization retains ownership of its original presentations, templates, policies, recordings, briefs, examples, data, brand assets, and other materials it supplies, subject to any rights belonging to third parties.

The organization grants Message & Method the limited permission necessary to review, copy, edit, display, transmit, store, and use those materials for purposes of preparing and delivering the engagement.

The organization represents that it has the authority and necessary permissions to provide and authorize use of the materials it supplies.

The organization is responsible for claims arising from unauthorized, infringing, unlawful, misleading, defamatory, confidential, or improperly disclosed organization-supplied material.

Message & Method may decline to use a supplied item where ownership, permission, confidentiality, accuracy, safety, appropriateness, or legal compliance is uncertain.

30. Participant-created content

Participants retain ownership of their original speeches, scripts, notes, recordings, presentations, ideas, responses, plans, and other participant-created work, subject to any pre-existing rights of the organization or another party.

Organizational sponsorship alone does not transfer participant-created work to Message & Method or create new ownership rights for the sponsoring organization.

Message & Method may access, host, process, transmit, store, display, and administer participant-created content as reasonably necessary to provide the engagement and as described in the Terms of Enrollment & Use and Privacy Policy.

Disputes concerning ownership between the organization and a participant are governed by their own employment, contractor, academic, intellectual-property, or other agreements and applicable law.

31. Participant exports

Participants may download and retain their own writings, responses, plans, recordings, and other participant-created materials where an authorized export or download function is provided.

Participants may use, revise, reproduce, and share their own exported content for lawful personal, educational, and professional purposes, subject to applicable confidentiality obligations, employer rights, third-party rights, and other restrictions affecting the underlying content.

Message & Method is not responsible for determining whether a participant may disclose organization-owned, confidential, regulated, privileged, or third-party material contained in an export.

32. Tool and assessment exports

Some Message & Method tools and assessments may allow a participant to export an output that combines participant-created content with Message & Method prompts, categories, labels, structure, formatting, or methodology.

The participant may retain and use that completed output for the participant’s own learning and original speaking or professional work.

Exporting an output does not transfer ownership of the underlying Message & Method tool, assessment, prompts, structure, framework, template, methodology, or software.

The organization and participants may not use an exported output to recreate, extract, distribute, teach, sublicense, commercialize, or build a competing or derivative version of the underlying tool or framework.

33. Downloadable reference resources

Participants may download and retain Message & Method reference resources that are expressly made available through an authorized download function.

Those resources may be used only for their intended personal, educational, or professional purpose.

Unless expressly authorized, downloadable resources may not be published, sold, licensed, adapted, posted to an organizational repository or intranet, incorporated into another course or training program, distributed to nonparticipants, or used to conduct future internal training.

A downloadable resource may be shared to the limited extent expressly contemplated by that resource or its instructions. For example, a constructive-feedback guide may be shared with a specific person from whom the participant is requesting feedback.

A limited sharing permission does not authorize broad organizational distribution, public posting, repeated training use, inclusion in a resource library, or redistribution to people who are not participating in the intended activity.

The availability of an export or download function for one resource does not authorize downloading, copying, extracting, photographing, screen-recording, reproducing, or distributing other Message & Method materials for which no authorized function is provided.

34. Message & Method intellectual property

Message & Method retains ownership of its curriculum, course content, frameworks, methods, assessments, prompts, tools, templates, exercises, workbooks, reference materials, slide materials, facilitator notes, recordings, software, systems, designs, branding, working methods, and general know-how.

The organization’s purchase grants only the limited access and use rights stated in the proposal, applicable product terms, and these Organizational Terms.

Attendance, enrollment, sponsorship, payment, or receipt of materials does not transfer ownership of Message & Method intellectual property.

The organization may not copy, reproduce, publish, distribute, adapt, translate, reverse-engineer, sublicense, sell, commercialize, or create derivative training materials from Message & Method intellectual property except as expressly authorized in writing.

35. Prohibition on internal training reuse

Organizational purchase does not grant the right to reuse Message & Method curriculum, slides, worksheets, tools, recordings, exercises, facilitator methods, or other educational materials to conduct future internal training.

The organization may not place Message & Method materials in an internal learning library, learning-management system, document repository, knowledge base, intranet, shared drive, or training archive unless a written license expressly permits it.

Participants may apply the principles they learn and may use authorized participant resources for their own original work. They may not reproduce or deliver the Message & Method program, exercises, tools, or materials as training for others.

Train-the-trainer use, repeated internal delivery, enterprise-wide distribution, licensed recordings, facilitator access, or broader internal reuse requires a separate written license and may involve additional fees.

36. Recording and transcription

The organization and participants may not independently record, livestream, screen-record, audio-record, photograph, transcribe, capture, or reproduce an organizational session unless the proposal or a separate written license expressly permits it.

The prohibition includes automated meeting assistants, artificial-intelligence note takers, transcription services, browser extensions, videoconferencing bots, and other recording or capture technologies.

Authorized recording may involve additional fees and conditions addressing permitted users, purpose, access period, storage, security, editing, distribution, accessibility, and deletion.

Permission to record or retain a session does not grant ownership of or broader reuse rights in Message & Method curriculum, presentation materials, exercises, participant content, or intellectual property.

Accessibility-related recording or transcription requests should be raised before the engagement so that an appropriate arrangement can be considered.

37. Recordings made by Message & Method

Message & Method may record an organizational session when the proposal, product terms, participant notice, or separate agreement permits it.

Recording and recording availability are not guaranteed unless the proposal expressly makes a recording a commissioned deliverable.

A recording may be missing, incomplete, corrupted, delayed, lost, removed, or unavailable because of technical failure, privacy concerns, storage limits, service-provider failure, security restrictions, data loss, or other circumstances.

Recording failure or unavailability does not by itself create a right to a refund, replacement service, credit, or extension.

Public, promotional, testimonial, or advertising use of a participant’s identifiable name, image, voice, presentation, or recording requires separate permission.

38. Commissioned deliverables

The proposal will identify any commissioned deliverables and the rights the organization will receive in them.

Unless the proposal states otherwise, upon full payment the organization receives a broad, perpetual license to use, reproduce, display, perform, modify, and distribute the final commissioned deliverables for the organization’s own lawful internal business or organizational purposes.

Any copyright assignment, ownership transfer, external distribution right, resale right, sublicensing right, or broader commercial license must be expressly stated in the proposal and becomes effective only after full payment.

Delivery of a final work product does not include editable source files, working files, drafts, unused concepts, internal notes, production files, proprietary templates, course materials, tools, methods, prompts, systems, or software unless the proposal expressly includes them.

The proposal may specify the delivery format, revision allowance, approval process, permitted audience, internal-use rights, external-use rights, and retention period.

39. Third-party materials

An engagement or deliverable may incorporate third-party photographs, illustrations, fonts, music, video, quotations, data, software, templates, platforms, or other licensed materials.

Third-party materials remain subject to their own licenses and are not transferred beyond the rights permitted by those licenses.

The organization is responsible for complying with usage restrictions disclosed in the proposal, deliverable documentation, license information, or accompanying materials.

Message & Method does not guarantee that a third-party license permits every future territory, medium, duration, audience, modification, distribution method, or commercial use.

The organization is responsible for obtaining expanded rights needed for uses outside the licensed scope.

40. Travel and expenses

Where an engagement requires travel, the proposal will identify the categories of travel-related charges payable by the organization.

Travel-related charges may include travel time, mileage, tolls, parking, airfare, rail travel, lodging, ground transportation, meals, venue charges, equipment, shipping, baggage, and other reasonable delivery expenses.

Unless the proposal requires item-by-item approval, Message & Method may make reasonable travel arrangements within the agreed framework without obtaining separate approval for each expense.

The proposal may use a fixed travel fee, allowance, estimate, expense cap, actual-expense arrangement, travel-time charge, or another agreed method.

If travel plans are cancelled or changed because of the organization, the organization remains responsible for nonrefundable and nonrecoverable travel commitments incurred under the agreed arrangement.

41. Personnel, facilitators, and subcontractors

Peter Cumbo ordinarily provides services identified as being personally delivered by him.

Message & Method may use employees, contractors, guest experts, technical personnel, administrators, production personnel, or qualified substitute facilitators where reasonably appropriate for the engagement.

A substitute or supporting professional will be selected in good faith based on qualifications, fit, availability, and the needs of the engagement.

Message & Method remains responsible for managing its personnel and for requiring appropriate confidentiality and professional conduct.

If the proposal expressly guarantees a named individual’s personal performance, substitution will occur only as permitted by that proposal or with the organization’s agreement.

42. Non-solicitation of personnel

During the engagement and for 12 months afterward, the organization will not knowingly solicit for direct employment or direct contracting a Message & Method employee or contractor materially involved in the engagement without prior written permission.

This restriction does not prohibit general public recruiting that is not directed at a particular person or the hiring of someone who independently responds without targeted solicitation.

This section does not apply where prohibited or restricted by applicable law.

43. No guaranteed results

Message & Method provides education, training, coaching, facilitation, feedback, tools, strategy, and related professional services.

No particular participant improvement, confidence level, communication outcome, audience response, organizational change, promotion, retention result, revenue result, performance rating, culture change, or business outcome is guaranteed.

Results depend on participant preparation, attendance, practice, implementation, leadership support, organizational conditions, audience factors, timing, prior experience, and circumstances outside Message & Method’s control.

Recommendations, training methods, examples, strategies, tools, feedback, and other guidance provided by Message & Method are offered for consideration and adaptation by the organization and its participants. Because Message & Method does not control the organization’s policies, employment decisions, communications, implementation, audience conditions, or operating environment, the organization is responsible for determining whether and how such guidance is appropriate for its intended use.

The organization and participants retain final authority and responsibility for decisions, communications, content, implementation, publication, employment actions, and organizational use.

44. Educational and professional boundaries

Organizational services are educational, coaching, creative, and consulting services.

They are not medical care, psychotherapy, legal advice, tax advice, financial advice, employment-law advice, human-resources investigation, compliance certification, or another licensed professional service unless expressly stated and provided by an appropriately qualified professional.

Message & Method may recommend that the organization or a participant consult an attorney, accountant, healthcare provider, mental-health professional, human-resources adviser, accessibility specialist, security professional, or another qualified adviser where appropriate.

45. Accessibility

The organization should communicate known accessibility requirements as early as practical so that available formats, facilities, technology, timing, and reasonable alternatives can be considered.

Message & Method will make good-faith efforts to identify reasonable and practical access solutions based on the request, engagement, materials, technology, schedule, and circumstances.

Specialized captioning, interpretation, remediation, accessible production, travel support, equipment, venue modification, or third-party accessibility services may require additional preparation, lead time, vendor support, or fees.

The organization remains responsible for accessibility obligations assigned to it under the proposal, including venue, employer, event-host, technology, and participant-accommodation responsibilities.

46. Technology and third-party services

Message & Method may use third-party services for course access, videoconferencing, recordings, scheduling, forms, support, file delivery, payments, communication, storage, analytics, and administration.

Third-party services may experience outages, errors, security restrictions, feature changes, data loss, or discontinuation.

Message & Method may replace a service or modify an administrative process when reasonably necessary, provided the material substance of the purchased service remains substantially available.

Temporary technical issues do not automatically create a refund, cancellation, replacement-service, or extension right.

If a material technology failure prevents substantial delivery, Message & Method may provide a proportionate remedy such as additional time, rescheduling, an alternative platform, a credit, or another reasonable adjustment.

47. Data storage and availability

Course platforms, coaching tools, forms, dashboards, journals, file systems, and other Message & Method services are not intended to serve as the organization’s or participant’s permanent backup or archive.

Data may be lost, corrupted, overwritten, deleted, made unavailable, or reverted to an earlier version because of technical failure, user action, security response, service-provider failure, maintenance, restoration from backup, or other circumstances.

The organization and participants are responsible for retaining copies of information and exports they consider important where an authorized export or download function is available.

Data loss or restoration does not by itself create an automatic right to a refund, extension, or replacement service. Message & Method may provide a proportionate remedy where reasonably appropriate or required by law.

48. Suspension

Message & Method may suspend access, delivery, support, scheduling, recordings, reporting, or work in progress for nonpayment, material breach, security risk, unlawful conduct, infringement concerns, harassment, unsafe conditions, misuse of services, or failure to provide required cooperation.

Where reasonable, Message & Method will provide notice and an opportunity to correct the issue.

Immediate suspension may occur where continued performance presents a material legal, safety, security, confidentiality, payment, fraud, harassment, or disruption risk.

Suspension caused by the organization or participants does not automatically extend deadlines, preserve reserved dates, or reduce amounts due.

49. Termination for organization breach

Message & Method may terminate an engagement for material breach, nonpayment, repeated noncooperation, unlawful or deceptive requested work, unsafe conditions, harassment, fraud, infringement, misuse of services, or circumstances that make continued performance professionally inappropriate or impracticable.

Where reasonable, Message & Method may provide notice and an opportunity to correct the issue before termination.

If termination results from the organization’s or a participant’s breach, the organization remains responsible for completed services, preparation, participant access activated, reserved capacity, work in progress, nonrecoverable commitments, travel expenses, third-party charges, and other amounts due under the proposal.

Any refund or credit for undelivered services will be determined based on the remaining material value, cause of termination, costs incurred, resulting loss, and applicable law.

50. Termination by Message & Method without organization breach

Message & Method may end an engagement for reasons not caused by the organization, including serious illness, incapacity, unexpected conflict, business interruption, unavailability of necessary personnel, or another circumstance that makes continued performance impracticable.

Where practical, Message & Method may offer rescheduling, an extension, a qualified substitute, a modified format, a transition, a credit, or another reasonable alternative.

If Message & Method terminates an engagement for reasons not caused by the organization and cannot provide a reasonable substitute or transition, the organization will receive a prorated refund for material services not delivered.

The prorated amount may account for services completed, preparation performed, participant access activated, deliverables completed, work in progress, support provided, nonrecoverable expenses, and other material value already delivered.

51. Force majeure

Neither party is responsible for delay or failure caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including severe weather, natural disaster, epidemic, government action, war, terrorism, civil disturbance, labor disruption, utility failure, widespread internet outage, transportation interruption, venue closure, or serious illness.

The affected party will make reasonable efforts to communicate the issue and reduce avoidable disruption.

The parties will work in good faith to reschedule, modify, suspend, or otherwise address the affected portion of the engagement.

Force majeure does not excuse payment for services already performed, access already delivered, nonrecoverable expenses, or commitments already incurred.

52. Representations and warranties

Each party represents that it has the authority to enter into the applicable agreement and perform its stated responsibilities.

Message & Method will provide the services in a professional manner consistent with the accepted scope.

Except for express commitments in the proposal or these Organizational Terms, services, platforms, content, recordings, and deliverables are provided without additional warranties to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Message & Method does not warrant uninterrupted access, error-free technology, compatibility with every organizational system, achievement of a particular result, or fitness for an undisclosed purpose.

53. Mutual responsibility for claims

Each party is responsible for claims, losses, or liabilities arising from its own breach, negligence, willful misconduct, unlawful conduct, infringement, unauthorized disclosure, or violation of third-party rights.

The organization is responsible for claims arising from organization-supplied materials, instructions, facilities, technology, participant conduct, employment decisions, unauthorized recording, unauthorized reuse, or uses of deliverables outside the agreed rights.

Message & Method is responsible for claims to the extent caused by its own breach, negligence, willful misconduct, or infringement.

Any indemnification obligation must be interpreted consistently with the accepted proposal and applicable law and does not require either party to assume responsibility for the other party’s independent wrongdoing.

54. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither party will be liable to the other for indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, punitive, or consequential damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, lost business opportunity, lost goodwill, or loss of anticipated savings arising from the engagement.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Message & Method’s aggregate liability arising from an organizational engagement will not exceed the amount paid or payable to Message & Method for the specific engagement giving rise to the claim.

The liability limitations do not apply to payment obligations, unauthorized use of intellectual property, fraud, willful misconduct, or liability that cannot lawfully be limited.

Nothing in these Organizational Terms limits any nonwaivable right or remedy available under applicable law.

55. Insurance

Message & Method will maintain insurance it considers reasonably appropriate for its operations.

Any specific coverage type, policy limit, endorsement, certificate, additional-insured requirement, waiver, or other insurance obligation must be disclosed and agreed during the proposal or procurement process.

Message & Method is not required to obtain special or increased coverage unless it expressly agrees in writing, and associated costs may affect the fee.

56. Independent contractor relationship

Message & Method provides services as an independent contractor.

Nothing in the engagement creates an employment, partnership, joint venture, fiduciary, franchise, agency, or representative relationship between the parties.

Neither party may bind the other or make commitments on the other’s behalf except as expressly authorized in writing.

57. Publicity and use of names

Neither party may use the other party’s name, trademarks, logos, participant identities, testimonials, photographs, or recordings for public advertising or promotional purposes without permission.

Message & Method may make factual internal records identifying the organization as a client for accounting, administration, legal, insurance, and business-management purposes.

Any public case study, client-list placement, testimonial, press release, promotional recording, or public reference requires separate authorization.

58. Notices

Routine scheduling, participant administration, support, and project communications may be sent through email, the designated support channel, the applicable platform, or another agreed method.

Formal notices concerning breach, termination, legal claims, or contract disputes should be sent to the contact information stated in the proposal and to [email protected].

A notice is effective when received or when delivery is reasonably confirmed through the agreed communication method.

59. Assignment

The organization may not assign the engagement, proposal, purchased services, or contractual rights to another entity without prior written permission.

A corporate merger, acquisition, reorganization, or transfer of substantially all relevant assets may be treated as an assignment and should be disclosed promptly.

Message & Method may assign the agreement in connection with a business reorganization, merger, sale, or transfer of substantially all relevant business assets, provided the successor assumes the applicable obligations.

This section concerns assignment of the organizational agreement and does not override permitted assignment of unused participant seats under these Organizational Terms.

60. Governing law and disputes

The engagement is governed by the law specified in the accepted proposal. If the proposal does not specify governing law, the laws of the State of New York apply, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Before filing a formal claim, the parties will make a good-faith effort to resolve the dispute through direct discussion between authorized representatives.

If informal resolution is unsuccessful, any action concerning the engagement must be brought in a state or federal court with jurisdiction in Erie County, New York, unless the proposal requires another agreed forum or dispute process.

Each party waives any objection based on inconvenient forum to the extent permitted by law.

61. Severability and waiver

If a provision of these Organizational Terms is found unlawful or unenforceable, it will be enforced to the greatest extent permitted and the remaining provisions will continue in effect.

A failure or delay in enforcing a right does not waive that right.

A waiver applies only to the specific circumstance for which it is given and must be confirmed in writing by an authorized representative.

62. Entire agreement

The accepted proposal, these Organizational Terms, incorporated product-specific terms, and other expressly incorporated documents constitute the complete agreement concerning the organizational engagement.

They replace prior proposals, discussions, representations, emails, and understandings concerning the same scope, except for continuing confidentiality obligations or other prior agreements expressly preserved in writing.

Marketing copy, preliminary estimates, consultation discussions, and informal descriptions do not expand the accepted scope.

63. Survival

Provisions concerning payment, confidentiality, participant privacy, intellectual property, downloadable resources, recordings, commissioned deliverables, third-party materials, data, responsibility for claims, liability, disputes, and other provisions that by their nature should continue will survive expiration, cancellation, or termination.

64. Contact

Questions about organizational services, proposals, scheduling, procurement, or participant administration may be sent to [email protected].

Legal notices may be sent to [email protected].