Terms of Service · ETHOSLINK

These Terms of Service govern your use of ethoslinkadvisory.com and any communications with ETHOSLINK LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company. By using the Site, you agree to these Terms.

These Terms govern Site use and general inquiries only. Paid client engagements, candidate placements, and advisory work are governed by separate written engagement agreements that take precedence over these Terms wherever they conflict.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using ethoslinkadvisory.com (the "Site") or interacting with ETHOSLINK LLC ("ETHOSLINK," "we," "our," or "us") through the Site or its associated email addresses, you ("you" or "User") agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Site. You represent that you are at least eighteen (18) years of age and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.

2. About ETHOSLINK

ETHOSLINK LLC is a North Carolina limited liability company organized under N.C.G.S. Chapter 57D, with its principal office in Charlotte, North Carolina. We provide retained executive search, fractional executive placement, specialty technical search, business advisory, and growth management consulting services. ETHOSLINK is not an employment agency under N.C.G.S. § 95-47 et seq.; we operate as a fee-paid management consultancy retained by the hiring organization, not as a private personnel service charging fees to candidates.

3. Use of the Site

3.1 Informational purposes only

The Site is provided for general informational and marketing purposes. All content on the Site — including blog posts, frameworks, methodologies, and case-study references — describes ETHOSLINK's approach and observations but does not constitute legal, tax, accounting, financial, employment-law, recruiting, or other professional advice on any specific matter. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any Site content without obtaining specific professional advice appropriate to your circumstances. Reliance on Site content is at your own risk.

3.2 No client, candidate, or advisory relationship arises from Site use

Browsing the Site, reading our content, submitting a résumé, booking a discovery call, or sending a general inquiry does not by itself create a client, candidate, advisory, agency, fiduciary, or other professional relationship with ETHOSLINK. Such relationships arise only upon mutual execution of a written engagement agreement specifying the scope, fees, deliverables, and governing terms. Communications exchanged prior to execution of a written engagement are not protected by professional confidentiality.

3.3 Acceptable use

You agree that you will not, and will not permit any third party to:

Use the Site for any unlawful, fraudulent, infringing, harmful, or harassing purpose
Attempt unauthorized access to the Site, its servers, our hosting accounts, or any connected systems
Use automated tools (bots, scrapers, crawlers, harvesters) to extract Site content in bulk, except as expressly authorized by our robots.txt for legitimate indexing or AI-search purposes
Reproduce, duplicate, mirror, sell, resell, or commercially exploit any portion of the Site or its content without our express prior written consent
Use the Site, our content, or our methodologies as training data for any large language model, machine-learning system, or other automated learning system without our prior written consent (limited fair-use citation for AI-search retrieval with link attribution to the original URL is expressly permitted)
Misrepresent your identity, employer, residency, or the purpose of any inquiry submitted to us
Transmit any virus, malware, ransomware, or other harmful code through Site communications
Use the Site or our email channels to send unsolicited commercial communications, spam, or recruiting solicitations directed at ETHOSLINK personnel

4. Intellectual Property Rights

4.1 Site content

All content on the Site — including text, frameworks, methodologies, graphics, photographs, illustrations, animations, the visual identity system, the underlying HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and SVG code, and the selection, arrangement, and "look and feel" — is the property of ETHOSLINK LLC or its licensors and is protected by United States and international copyright (17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.), trademark, trade-dress, trade-secret, and other intellectual property laws.

4.2 Trademarks

The marks "ETHOSLINK," the EL monogram, the ETHOSLINK wordmark, the taglines "Precision Talent. Permanent Impact." and "We don't fill positions. We place the precise person who transforms an organization.", and the methodology names "The ETHOSLINK Method," "The 90-Day Window," "The Operator's Eye," "A Slate, Not a List," and "RISQ" (collectively, the "ETHOSLINK Marks") are trademarks of ETHOSLINK LLC. Nothing on the Site grants any license or right to use the ETHOSLINK Marks without our express prior written consent.

4.3 Permitted use of content

You may share hyperlinks to Site content, view content for non-commercial personal or internal business reference, and quote brief excerpts (typically not exceeding 200 words per piece) with attribution and a link back to the originating ETHOSLINK URL for editorial, journalistic, or AI-search-citation purposes. Any other use — including reproduction, translation, derivative works, training datasets, commercial syndication, or incorporation into competing service offerings — requires our prior written consent.

4.4 Feedback

If you provide ETHOSLINK with feedback, suggestions, or ideas regarding the Site or our services, you grant us a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use that feedback without restriction or compensation to you.

5. User Communications and Submissions

When you send us a message, résumé, business inquiry, or other communication through the Site or our email addresses, you grant ETHOSLINK a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use that communication for the purposes of (a) responding to you, (b) evaluating any potential engagement, candidate match, or advisory opportunity, and (c) maintaining records of communications for legal, compliance, and operational purposes. We will not publish or quote your communications without your consent except as required by law or as necessary to enforce these Terms.

Do not transmit information you consider confidential through general inquiry channels without first establishing a written mutual confidentiality agreement. General inquiries are not protected by attorney-client privilege, accountant-client privilege, executive-search fiduciary duty, or any other professional confidentiality regime until a written engagement is executed.

6. Third-Party Links, Services, and Content

The Site may link to or embed third-party websites, services, and content — including our scheduling provider (Cal.com), our LinkedIn pages, and externally cited references in our Insights articles. ETHOSLINK does not control, endorse, or assume responsibility for the content, accuracy, privacy practices, or terms of any third party. Your use of third-party services is governed solely by the terms and policies of those providers, and any disputes arising from third-party services should be addressed directly with the third party.

7. Disclaimers of Warranty

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE SITE AND ALL CONTENT, FEATURES, AND COMMUNICATIONS PROVIDED THROUGH THE SITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, TITLE, ACCURACY, OR ANY WARRANTIES ARISING FROM COURSE OF DEALING, COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, OR USAGE OF TRADE.

ETHOSLINK DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE; THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED; OR THAT THE SITE OR THE SERVERS THAT MAKE IT AVAILABLE ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

No outcome guarantees. Frameworks, methodologies, statistics, and observations published on the Site describe past experience and professional approach. Nothing on the Site constitutes a guarantee, warranty, or representation of any specific outcome from any executive search engagement, fractional placement, advisory engagement, or other professional service. Past results do not guarantee future results.

No professional advice. Site content is general information, not advice on any specific legal, employment, tax, financial, or organizational matter, and is not a substitute for engaging qualified counsel or professionals for your specific situation.

Non-waiver of statutory consumer protections. The disclaimers in this Section do not waive any non-disclaimable rights or remedies available to you under the North Carolina Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act (N.C.G.S. § 75-1.1) or other applicable consumer-protection law.

8. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, AND EXCEPT FOR LIABILITY ARISING FROM OUR FRAUD, WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, OR NON-WAIVABLE STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS:

(a) IN NO EVENT SHALL ETHOSLINK LLC, ITS MEMBERS, MANAGERS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES — INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, LOST BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, LOST GOODWILL, LOST DATA, COST OF SUBSTITUTE SERVICES, OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION — ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SITE, WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE, AND EVEN IF ETHOSLINK HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

(b) ETHOSLINK'S TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SITE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (I) THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF FEES YOU HAVE PAID TO ETHOSLINK UNDER A WRITTEN ENGAGEMENT AGREEMENT IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM, OR (II) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100). WHERE A SEPARATE WRITTEN ENGAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH ETHOSLINK CONTAINS A DIFFERENT LIABILITY LIMIT, THE TERMS OF THAT ENGAGEMENT AGREEMENT CONTROL.

(c) The foregoing limitations shall apply to the maximum extent permitted by law. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages; to the extent any such limitation is held unenforceable, ETHOSLINK's liability shall be limited to the minimum extent permitted by law.

9. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless ETHOSLINK LLC and its members, managers, employees, contractors, agents, and successors (the "Indemnified Parties") from and against any third-party claims, demands, actions, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs) arising out of or related to: (a) your use or misuse of the Site; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any applicable law or any right of a third party; or (d) any content or communication you transmit through the Site. ETHOSLINK reserves the right, at its own expense, to assume exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you, in which event you will reasonably cooperate with ETHOSLINK in asserting any defenses.

10. Governing Law, Venue, and Limitations Period

Governing law. These Terms and any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Site are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, without giving effect to its conflict-of-laws principles. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods does not apply.

Venue and personal jurisdiction. The exclusive venue for any action arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Site shall be the state courts located in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, or the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Charlotte Division. You consent to personal jurisdiction and venue in those courts and waive any objection based on inconvenient forum.

Limitations period. Consistent with N.C.G.S. § 1-52, any cause of action arising out of or related to these Terms or your use of the Site must be commenced within three (3) years after the cause of action accrues, or it shall be permanently barred.

Attorneys' fees. North Carolina follows the American Rule: each party shall bear its own attorneys' fees and costs incurred in any action arising out of these Terms, except as expressly provided in the indemnification provision above or as otherwise required by statute or court order.

11. Force Majeure

ETHOSLINK shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance to the extent caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, fire, flood, war, terrorism, civil unrest, governmental action, labor disputes, pandemics, internet or telecommunications failures, or third-party service-provider failures (including failures of Site hosting or domain registration providers).

12. Termination and Modification of Site Access

ETHOSLINK reserves the right, in its sole discretion and without prior notice, to (a) modify, suspend, or discontinue the Site or any portion of it, with or without cause; and (b) deny, restrict, or terminate any person's access to the Site for any conduct that ETHOSLINK reasonably believes violates these Terms or applicable law or is otherwise harmful to ETHOSLINK, the Site, or other users.

13. Changes to These Terms

ETHOSLINK may revise these Terms from time to time. Material revisions will be reflected by an updated "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where required by law, by additional notice. Your continued use of the Site after revisions become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must discontinue use of the Site.

14. Electronic Communications and Signatures

You consent to receive communications from ETHOSLINK in electronic form. Electronic communications and electronic signatures satisfy any legal requirement that communications or signatures be in writing, consistent with the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (15 U.S.C. § 7001 et seq.) and the North Carolina Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (N.C.G.S. § 66-311 et seq.).

15. Notices

Notices to ETHOSLINK under these Terms must be in writing and sent to: ETHOSLINK LLC, Attn: Legal, Charlotte, North Carolina, with a courtesy copy by email to hello@ethoslinkadvisory.com. Notices to you may be sent to the email or postal address you have most recently provided to ETHOSLINK, or by conspicuous posting on the Site.

16. Assignment

You may not assign, transfer, or delegate these Terms or any rights or obligations hereunder without ETHOSLINK's prior written consent; any attempted assignment in violation of this Section is void. ETHOSLINK may freely assign or transfer these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets.

17. Severability, Waiver, and Survival

Severability. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or if that is not possible, severed; and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

Waiver. ETHOSLINK's failure to enforce any provision of these Terms shall not be construed as a waiver of that provision or any other provision. Waivers must be in a writing signed by ETHOSLINK to be effective.

Survival. The following Sections survive termination of these Terms or any cessation of your use of the Site: Section 4 (Intellectual Property), Section 5 (User Communications), Section 7 (Disclaimers), Section 8 (Limitation of Liability), Section 9 (Indemnification), Section 10 (Governing Law), Section 17 (Severability, Waiver, Survival), and Section 18 (Entire Agreement).

18. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any executed written engagement agreement between you and ETHOSLINK, constitute the entire agreement between you and ETHOSLINK regarding your use of the Site and supersede any prior or contemporaneous communications, proposals, or agreements regarding that subject matter. In the event of any conflict between these Terms and a written engagement agreement, the engagement agreement controls.

19. Headings; Interpretation

Section headings are provided for convenience only and shall not affect the interpretation of these Terms. References to statutes include any successor or amended version. Words in the singular include the plural and vice versa, as context requires.

20. Contact

For questions about these Terms, contact:

ETHOSLINK LLC
Attn: Legal
Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
Email: hello@ethoslinkadvisory.com

Plain-English summary. Use the Site reasonably; the content is educational, not professional advice. Engagement contracts govern actual client work, not these Terms. ETHOSLINK's content and methodology names are ours; cite us with a link if you reference us. No outcome guarantees. Liability is capped at fees you've paid us in the prior 12 months (or $100, whichever is higher). North Carolina law governs; disputes go to Mecklenburg County courts; you have three years from the date of any claim to file. The North Carolina Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act protections cannot be waived.