I recently heard psychologist Silvia Olmedo talk about a word that made my heart smile: apapacho.
This Mexican word, very close to my heart, comes from the Náhuatl papatzoa — from pa (upon) and patzoa(to gently squeeze) — and it means something that has no exact translation in any other language: to caress with the soul.
But apapacho is more than a caress. It’s a philosophy of life: “I don’t know if I can solve it, but you matter to me and I’m going to try to help you.”
More than empathy: a way of being
That’s social empathy. And yes, it’s very Mexican. But it’s also profoundly human.
As a Mexican designer, creator, worker, and entrepreneur living in Quebec for 18 years, I’ve learned that this philosophy transcends borders. Apapacho doesn’t need a passport because it speaks the universal language of genuine care.
In my work, this philosophy is intrinsic to every interaction: with my team, my clients, and my suppliers. I don’t always have the answers, but I can always be present, listen, and help.
When apapacho becomes a business model
When I decided to create AIngiency, there was no way the model could be anything else.
My business model couldn’t NOT have social impact, because apapacho — that “you matter to me and I’m going to try to help you” — is my philosophy as an entrepreneur, not just as a person.
That’s how our 1×1 model was born: for every artist who pays for our services, we support an emerging artist who doesn’t have the resources to access these tools.
It’s not “scalable.” It’s human.
Let’s be honest: the 1×1 model isn’t scalable in the traditional sense. It’s not “efficient” according to business manuals.
But it’s profoundly human.
Every artist we support receives real, personalized attention with impact. Because we believe that an artist’s success — especially those who carry everything alone — deserves more than a generic tutorial.
It deserves an apapacho.
One artist at a time. One apapacho at a time.
At AIngiency, we don’t “serve clients.” We accompany artists.
We listen to their stories. We understand their fears with technology. We celebrate their small digital victories. And above all, we remind them that they’re not alone on this journey.
Because in the end, business can also caress the soul.
A philosophy to export
Psychologist Silvia Olmedo gives very wise advice at the end of her reflection on apapacho: that this way of being — this genuine “you matter to me” — is something we must cultivate and protect.
And she added:Â it’s a philosophy that Mexicans should export to the entire world. Because in a world that rewards speed and efficiency, choosing apapacho is an act of kind rebellion.
And that rebellion, believe me, is what makes all the difference.
✨ Did you know this word?
How do you practice social empathy in your work? Tell me in the comments.
With love and apapacho, AIngiency 💙
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