LEGAL

Disclosure & Transparency

Effective: April 25, 2026

The plain-English version

When I get paid, gifted, comped, or hold a stake in something I write about, you’ll see a label on it. No exceptions. No buried fine print. I also run an agency, so I’ll be honest when content overlaps with that business. And yes, I use AI tools to write and edit. Here’s the full breakdown.

01FTC affiliate disclosure

Per the FTC’s Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255), I disclose any material connection between me and a product, service, or company I recommend.

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. The price you pay is the same as if you went direct. Affiliate revenue doesn’t change what I recommend or how I evaluate it. If a tool sucks, I don’t link to it, even with the highest commission in the category.

Affiliate links are labeled inline like this:

Affiliate Link

Active affiliate relationships as of the effective date above:

  • Kit (formerly ConvertKit) — newsletter platform
  • WPX Hosting — managed WordPress hosting
  • Kadence WP — WordPress theme & blocks

This list updates as relationships start or end. I do not promote tools I don’t personally use or have not used in real engagements.

02Sponsored content

If a brand pays for placement in the Brief, on this site, or in any associated content, that content is labeled SPONSORED at the top. No exceptions.

Sponsored content rules I commit to:

  • I write the copy. Sponsors don’t get to ghostwrite the placement. They review for accuracy. They don’t approve angle.
  • I don’t sponsor categories I don’t believe in. No crypto pump schemes. No “guru” courses. No SEO link-building services.
  • The label is unmissable. SPONSORED tag at the top of the section, not a footnote at the bottom.
  • Editorial content stays editorial. If I praise a tool in a non-sponsored article, no money changed hands. Period.

As of the effective date, there is no active sponsored content on this site.

03Gifted, comped, and free access

If a company sends me a free product, gives me a comped license, free conference pass, or any non-cash consideration, and I write about that product or experience, that content carries a GIFTED label.

Gifted / Comped

A free trial that’s available to everyone is not “gifted.” A custom comped enterprise tier or a personally extended free year is.

04Investments and advisory positions

If I hold equity in, sit on the advisory board of, or have a financial interest in a company I write about, that content carries an INVESTOR / ADVISOR label and the relationship is named.

Investor / Advisor

Active positions as of the effective date:

  • None at this time.

If this changes, this list and any related content will be updated and labeled accordingly.

05AI use disclosure

Modern transparency commitment

I use AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Midjourney, and others) in my workflow. I tell you exactly how. The strategy, opinions, frameworks, and final judgment are always mine.

Here’s where AI shows up in this content operation:

  • Drafting and editing. I use AI to draft sections, refine sentence structure, and pressure-test arguments. The published voice and conclusions are mine. I rewrite extensively.
  • Research synthesis. AI helps me synthesize source material faster. All factual claims are verified before publishing.
  • Code and design. AI helps generate the HTML, CSS, and design components for this site. I direct the build, the design system, and the final result.
  • Image generation. Some illustrations on this site are AI-generated. Photographs of me and the team are not.

When a piece of content is meaningfully AI-assisted in a way I think you should know about (a chart, an analysis, an illustration), I’ll mark it:

AI-Assisted

I do not believe in pretending AI doesn’t exist. I do believe in being clear about where the line is between tool use and authorship. The line, here, is judgment. I own that part.

06The two-business relationship

I want to be direct about this because it’s the most common confusion:

  • jefflizik.com is editorial. Free content. Newsletter. Frameworks. Public thinking.
  • RedShift Digital Marketing is the agency. Paid done-for-you services. Different business, different team, different conversation.

Some content on this site naturally references services my agency offers. That doesn’t make every page a sales pitch. When I’m explicitly recommending you talk to RedShift, you’ll know because there will be a clear CTA pointing to redshiftdm.com. Otherwise, treat the content as editorial.

If you become a RedShift client, our relationship is governed by the contract you sign there, not by anything on this site.

07Editorial independence

My commitments to you as a reader:

  • I will never recommend a tool I haven’t used or evaluated.
  • I will never accept payment to change a published opinion.
  • I will never hide a material connection. If I gain financially in any way from your action, you’ll see a label.
  • I will publish negative reviews of bad tools I’ve used. Even when I have an affiliate relationship that earns me money. The reader comes first or the whole thing collapses.

08How to spot disclosed content

Every disclosure on this site uses one of these visible labels at the top of the relevant section or article:

Affiliate Link Gifted / Comped Investor / Advisor AI-Assisted

If you ever see content you think should be labeled but isn’t, email me. I’ll fix it fast.

09Mistakes and corrections

If I get a fact wrong, miss a disclosure, or publish something inaccurate, the correction goes on the same page with a visible note. I don’t silently edit and pretend it never happened. That’s the deal.

Spot something? Email jeff@jefflizik.com with subject [CORRECTION].

Questions about a disclosure?

Email jeff@jefflizik.com with subject [DISCLOSURE]. I respond inside 30 days, usually faster.