Lessons from the Trenches: IT Consulting That Hits Different

Written By Emily Lents

Let’s get one thing out of the way: IT consulting isn’t glamorous.

Yes, we do strategy. Yes, we improve performance. But let’s not forget that before things get better, they’re usually on fire. That’s why Field Notes from the Forge exists—to share the unfiltered, behind-the-scenes stories of the projects, people, and processes that have shaped Ferrous Equine Technologies’ approach.

We’ve walked into environments where no one knew who owned the servers. Where the “documentation” was a sticky note. Where the most recent network map was from 2016. Sound familiar?

Here’s the kicker: even in these wild conditions, transformation is possible—but only if you’re willing to dig deep, ask the awkward questions, and forge solutions through honest collaboration.

In this blog, you’ll find:

  • 🔍 Postmortems on the projects that pushed us (and our clients)

  • 💡 Lessons that no textbook will teach you

  • 🤦 Funny fails we survived so you don’t have to repeat them

  • 🔧 Tools and frameworks that actually help under pressure

  • 🐎 A few equine analogies—because we can’t help ourselves

Whether you’re a CIO, a help desk lead, or just someone trying to convince their org to use a password manager, this is your place. It’s not always pretty—but neither is progress.

Let’s get our hands dirty.

Emily Lents