I’ve always been drawn to the parts of an organization that most people don’t notice. Not because they’re hidden, but because they’re foundational.
The decisions behind a data model. The process that connects one team to another. The assumptions that have shaped how people work for years without anyone stopping to ask why. They aren’t always the flashiest parts of a business, but they’re often the reason everything else works…or doesn’t.
I’m Amy Villasana-Moore, founder of Indigo Orchid Advisory. For more than two decades, I’ve been privileged to work alongside executive and operational leadership teams through growth, organizational change, and more than 100 business systems initiatives. And through all of that, one lesson has continued to stand out.
Technology is not really the hardest part. Understanding the business is.
That’s why my approach has never started with software. It starts with curiosity. I want to understand how an organization works—its people, its processes, its data, its history, and the realities that shape day-to-day decisions. Because the best solutions are the ones that fit the business, not the other way around.
Over the years, I’ve found that the strongest client relationships all have one thing in common: trust. Not just because clients trust me, but because I trust them enough to ask difficult questions, challenge assumptions, and stay curious until we get to the heart of the issue. That’s where the most meaningful work begins. It’s also where projects become partnerships, and where a single engagement can turn into an ongoing relationship.
One of the things I’ve come to appreciate is that no two organizations are exactly alike. Similar challenges, sure—but different histories, priorities, cultures, and goals. That’s why I focus less on finding the answer and more on helping leadership teams understand the choices in front of them, the tradeoffs that come with each, and the path that makes the most sense for their business. The destination may look different from one organization to the next, but the objective remains the same: building a foundation that will continue supporting their business long after the project itself is complete.
If there’s one thing I hope clients take away from working with me, it’s that I took the time to understand their business well enough to help them find the right answers for them. The greatest compliment I could receive is hearing someone say, “She gets us.” To me, those three words mean a client felt understood, and confident that, together, we found the right path forward for their organization.
Because for me, that’s where the best work begins.
