Terms and Conditions

Welcome to The Elevation Method.

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your use of elevationmethodcoaching.com and your purchase or participation in services, coaching, programs, assessments, resources, digital products, and other offerings provided by The Elevation Method (“TEM,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), operated by J. Santa Maria.

By accessing this website, purchasing an offering, submitting an application, or participating in a TEM service, you agree to these Terms.

Please read them carefully before purchasing or participating.

1. The Elevation Method

The Elevation Method provides psychology-informed nutrition coaching, nutrition education, behavior-change support, accountability, general movement guidance, assessments, resources, and related educational services.

TEM is designed to help clients progressively develop greater structure, skill, self-trust, competence, and independence around nutrition and lifestyle decisions. The coaching model is personalized rather than universally prescriptive and may evolve according to the client’s goals, preferences, capabilities, circumstances, and progress.

Nothing on this website guarantees that any individual will achieve a particular body-composition, weight, performance, behavioral, financial, or other result.

2. Scope of Services

The Elevation Method operates within the scope of nutrition coaching and education.

Depending on the offering and individual client, services may include:

✓ Nutrition education

✓ Nutrition strategy and food structure

✓ Macro or portion guidance when appropriate

✓ Protein, meal rhythm, hydration, hunger, and fullness guidance

✓ Meal planning and preparation strategies

✓ Restaurant, travel, weekend, and social-eating strategies

✓ Habit and behavior-change coaching

✓ Emotional- and stress-eating awareness within coaching scope

✓ Accountability and progress review

✓ General movement, cardio, step, recovery, and strength-training education

✓ Coaching resources, templates, exercises, and educational materials

✓ Progress tracking and outcome-based adjustments

TEM expressly does not provide:

✓ Medical Nutrition Therapy

✓ Diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions

✓ Eating-disorder treatment

✓ Psychotherapy or mental-health treatment

✓ Mental-health diagnosis

✓ Physical therapy or rehabilitation

✓ Medical exercise prescription

✓ Emergency or crisis services

✓ Prescription medications or medical diets

✓ Guaranteed weight-loss, body-composition, or physique outcomes

When a client’s needs fall outside TEM’s scope, referral to an appropriately qualified professional may be recommended.

3. Eligibility

By purchasing or participating in TEM services, you represent that:

✓ You are legally able to enter into these Terms.

✓ The information you provide is accurate to the best of your knowledge.

✓ You understand that nutrition coaching is not a substitute for appropriate medical or mental-health care.

✓ You will seek appropriate professional care when your needs fall outside the scope of TEM services.

TEM reserves the right to decline or discontinue a coaching relationship when the requested services fall outside TEM’s professional scope or when the relationship is otherwise not appropriate for coaching.

4. Current Paid Offerings

TEM may offer different services from time to time. Current offerings may include:

✓ The Elevation Audit: A one-time diagnostic and strategy service designed to identify the primary factors affecting a client’s nutrition and create a personalized action plan.

✓ The Elevation Audit is an assessment product and does not include ongoing coaching, recurring adjustments, continuous accountability, or ongoing messaging unless otherwise expressly stated.

✓ The 21-Day Structure Sprint: A short, focused coaching experience designed to help a client install one repeatable nutrition system over a 21-day period.

✓ The Sprint is intentionally narrower than Private Coaching and is not comprehensive multi-goal coaching.

✓ Premium Private Coaching: A personalized, higher-touch coaching relationship that may include assessment, nutrition strategy, skill-building, psychology-informed behavior-change support, weekly coaching reviews, accountability, monthly strategy sessions, messaging support, resources, and ongoing optimization. Private Coaching is designed to progressively help clients become more capable and self-directed rather than permanently dependent on coaching.

✓ The Accountability Partner: A lower-touch continuity service intended primarily for clients who already have an appropriate strategy but benefit from continued accountability. It does not include creation of a new comprehensive nutrition strategy or Private Coaching-level support.

5. Pricing and Payment

Prices are displayed at checkout or on the applicable sales page and may change for future purchases.

Current Private Coaching arrangements may include:

✓ Flexible Private Coaching billed every four weeks

✓ 12-week Private Coaching paid in full or through scheduled installments

✓ 24-week Private Coaching paid in full or through scheduled installments

When a client chooses an installment plan for a fixed-term coaching commitment, the installment plan is a method of paying the total commitment and does not convert that commitment into month-to-month coaching.

For example, a client who commits to 12 weeks and elects to pay in three installments remains responsible for the agreed 12-week commitment unless TEM agrees otherwise in writing or applicable law requires otherwise.

You authorize TEM and its payment processor to charge the payment method provided according to the payment schedule selected at checkout.

You are responsible for maintaining valid payment information.

6. Refund Policy

Unless expressly stated otherwise at the time of purchase, all sales are final and payments are non-refundable once purchased.

This includes payments for:

✓ The Elevation Audit

✓ The 21-Day Structure Sprint

✓ Premium Private Coaching

✓ The Accountability Partner

✓ Digital resources

✓ Assessments

✓ Courses

✓ Challenges

✓ Programs

✓ Other paid TEM offerings

Because TEM services may involve reserved coaching capacity, personalized preparation, assessments, intellectual property, digital access, planning, or services that begin shortly after purchase, TEM does not provide refunds because a client:

✓ Changes her mind

✓ Decides not to participate

✓ Does not complete the program

✓ Does not use available coaching support

✓ Misses sessions or check-ins

✓ Becomes unavailable during the purchased period

✓ Does not achieve a desired result

✓ Determines that she no longer wishes to pursue the original goal

Refunds may be issued only where required by applicable law or where TEM expressly agrees to one in writing.

Duplicate or erroneous charges should be reported promptly so they can be reviewed.

7. Cancellation and Future Payments

Refunds and cancellations are separate issues.

For services billed on an ongoing flexible basis, cancellation prevents future renewal charges when submitted according to the applicable cancellation procedure. Cancellation does not ordinarily refund a period that has already been purchased.

For fixed 12-week or 24-week Private Coaching commitments paid through installments, cancellation of participation does not automatically eliminate the remaining financial obligation associated with the agreed commitment.

The payment schedule represents installments toward the full coaching term rather than individual purchases of independent four-week periods.

The Accountability Partner may be cancelled before the next renewal to prevent future billing unless otherwise stated at enrollment.

TEM may establish additional cancellation procedures in the applicable checkout, enrollment agreement, or onboarding materials.

8. Scheduling, Rescheduling, and Missed Sessions

Certain services include scheduled strategy, kickoff, assessment, or coaching sessions.

Clients are responsible for attending scheduled sessions on time.

If you need to reschedule, reasonable notice should be provided whenever possible.

TEM may establish specific rescheduling windows for individual services.

Repeated missed sessions, late cancellations, or failure to participate do not automatically create a right to a refund, extension, replacement session, or additional coaching time.

If TEM must reschedule a session, reasonable efforts will be made to provide an alternative time.

9. Coaching Communication

Premium Private Coaching messaging support is generally available:

✓ Monday through Friday

✓ With a standard response expectation of approximately 24–48 business hours

Messaging support does not mean:

✓ Instant responses

✓ 24/7 availability

✓ Weekend availability

✓ Emergency access

✓ Unlimited real-time conversation

Weekly structured check-ins remain a primary coaching mechanism, while between-check-in communication supports implementation and troubleshooting.

Specific communication terms may differ for other services.

10. Client Responsibilities

Coaching is collaborative.

By participating, clients agree to make reasonable efforts to:

✓ Provide truthful and relevant information

✓ Communicate meaningful changes in circumstances

✓ Complete agreed assessments or check-ins when required

✓ Ask questions when clarification is needed

✓ Use coaching recommendations responsibly

✓ Seek appropriate professional care when needed

✓ Take responsibility for personal decisions and implementation

✓ Respect communication and coaching boundaries

✓ Treat TEM staff, contractors, and other participants respectfully

TEM provides strategy, education, accountability, interpretation, and support.

The client remains responsible for her own decisions, behavior, implementation, and outcomes.

11. No Guarantee of Results

TEM does not guarantee any particular result.

Results may vary based on numerous factors outside TEM’s control, including:

✓ Starting point

✓ Health status

✓ Genetics

✓ Nutrition adherence

✓ Training

✓ Recovery

✓ Sleep

✓ Stress

✓ Lifestyle circumstances

✓ Individual physiology

✓ Consistency

✓ Skill development

✓ Client participation

✓ Circumstances outside either party’s control

Testimonials, case studies, transformations, photographs, or examples represent individual experiences and should not be interpreted as guarantees that another person will achieve the same result.

12. Physical Activity and Movement

TEM may provide general movement, strength-training, cardio, step, recovery, or exercise education where appropriate.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, these services do not constitute individualized personal training, physical therapy, rehabilitation, or medical exercise programming.

Clients are responsible for determining whether they are medically able to participate in physical activity and should consult an appropriate healthcare professional when necessary.

The TEM client-experience architecture specifically treats movement as supportive to nutrition coaching rather than automatically providing full individualized strength programming.

13. Digital Resources and Intellectual Property

All materials provided through TEM—including, where applicable:

✓ The Elevation Blueprint

✓ TEM Skill Map

✓ Personal Playbook frameworks

✓ Nutrition materials

✓ Assessments

✓ Worksheets

✓ Templates

✓ Videos

✓ Courses

✓ Educational resources

✓ Protocols

✓ Coaching frameworks

✓ Graphics

✓ Written content

✓ Downloads

✓ Program materials

✓ Website content

—are owned by or licensed to The Elevation Method and are protected by applicable intellectual-property laws.

TEM’s client system deliberately incorporates proprietary frameworks, resources, protocols, and client-development tools as part of its long-term intellectual property.

Unless expressly authorized in writing, materials are provided for the purchaser’s personal use only.

You may not:

✓ Reproduce or redistribute TEM materials

✓ Resell them

✓ Upload them to public repositories

✓ Share paid access with others

✓ Republish them as your own

✓ Create substantially derivative commercial products from them

✓ Use TEM materials to train, operate, or sell a competing coaching product without authorization

Limited personal printing or storage for your own use is permitted.

14. Accounts and Client Portal Access

Certain services may provide access to a client portal, course platform, resource library, shared files, or other digital systems.

You are responsible for:

✓ Maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials

✓ Not sharing paid account access with unauthorized users

✓ Providing accurate account information

✓ Promptly reporting suspected unauthorized access

Access may end when the applicable service or access period ends unless otherwise stated.

TEM may modify platforms, portal structures, technologies, workflows, or delivery systems when reasonably necessary to operate or improve the service.

15. Third-Party Platforms

TEM may use third-party providers for functions such as:

✓ Payments

✓ Scheduling

✓ Website hosting

✓ Client portals

✓ Forms

✓ Email

✓ Video calls

✓ Messaging

✓ Analytics

✓ File storage

✓ Automation

Your use of those platforms may also be subject to the third party’s terms and privacy policies.

TEM is not responsible for outages, service interruptions, security incidents, policy changes, or technical failures caused solely by third-party providers outside TEM’s reasonable control.

16. Artificial Intelligence and Technology-Assisted Operations

TEM may use technology and artificial-intelligence tools to assist with administrative work, organization, meeting notes, information synthesis, document formatting, workflows, and other operational functions.

AI tools may support efficiency, but they do not replace TEM’s coaching judgment.

Where AI is used in connection with coaching operations, final coaching interpretation and recommendations remain subject to human review. That mirrors TEM’s internal system design, where AI assists workflow while coach judgment remains central.

17. Testimonials, Photos, and Client Content

Clients retain ownership of personal photographs and other original content they provide.

TEM will not intentionally use identifiable client testimonials, progress photographs, transformation images, or other personal content publicly for marketing without appropriate permission.

Where permission is provided, the permitted use may be governed by a separate release or written authorization.

18. Community and Group Conduct

If TEM later provides challenges, communities, group programs, live events, or other participant spaces, users are expected to interact respectfully.

TEM may remove content or terminate participation for behavior including:

✓ Harassment

✓ Threats

✓ Discrimination

✓ Spam

✓ Unauthorized promotion

✓ Sharing another participant’s private information

✓ Unauthorized distribution of paid materials

✓ Conduct that materially interferes with the experience of others

TEM’s current V1 architecture intentionally defers community-based products until a genuine product use case exists.

19. Suspension or Termination of Services

TEM reserves the right to suspend or terminate access when reasonably necessary, including for:

✓ Nonpayment

✓ Chargeback abuse

✓ Fraud or suspected fraud

✓ Harassment or threatening behavior

✓ Repeated violation of coaching boundaries

✓ Unauthorized distribution of TEM intellectual property

✓ Material violation of these Terms

✓ Conduct that makes continued coaching unsafe, inappropriate, unethical, or outside professional scope

When TEM terminates a service due to a client’s material breach, amounts already paid are generally non-refundable except where required by law.

20. Chargebacks and Payment Disputes

If you believe you were charged incorrectly, contact TEM first so the issue can be investigated.

Initiating a payment dispute or chargeback does not automatically cancel an existing contractual payment obligation.

TEM may provide payment processors or financial institutions with relevant transaction records, agreements, communications, checkout information, service-delivery records, or other documentation when responding to a payment dispute.

21. Educational Content

Information published through the TEM website, blog, social media, quizzes, email communications, resources, courses, or other channels is provided for general educational purposes unless expressly identified as individualized coaching.

General content does not create a coach-client relationship.

A recommendation that may be appropriate for one individual may not be appropriate for another.

22. Privacy

Your use of TEM services is also subject to the TEM Privacy Policy.

The Privacy Policy explains how personal information may be collected, used, stored, and shared.

23. Website Availability and Changes

TEM may update, modify, remove, replace, or discontinue website content, offerings, resources, features, or pricing at any time.

Changes to future offerings do not retroactively alter a completed purchase unless otherwise agreed.

We do not guarantee uninterrupted website or platform availability.

24. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, The Elevation Method and J. Santa Maria will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages arising from your use of the website, educational materials, digital products, or coaching services.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

25. Indemnification

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless The Elevation Method and J. Santa Maria from claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses arising from your unlawful misuse of TEM services, violation of these Terms, infringement of third-party rights, or unauthorized use or distribution of TEM intellectual property.

26. Governing Law

These Terms will be governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

Any dispute arising from these Terms or TEM services will be handled in accordance with applicable law and any additional dispute-resolution terms agreed between the parties.

27. Changes to These Terms

TEM may update these Terms periodically to reflect changes in services, business practices, technology, or legal requirements.

The current version will be posted on this page with an updated effective date.

Changes will apply prospectively unless otherwise required by law.

28. Severability

If any portion of these Terms is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in effect to the fullest extent permitted by law.

29. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with any applicable checkout terms, signed coaching agreement, service-specific agreement, Privacy Policy, and written policies incorporated into a purchase, form the agreement governing the applicable service.

If a signed service agreement contains terms that conflict with these general website Terms, the more specific service agreement will govern that service.

30. Contact

Questions about these Terms may be submitted through: elevationmethodcoaching.com/contact