Miguel Ruiz doesn’t just fix WordPress problems for customers in live chat, he’s the kind of person who remembers the exact day he joined DreamHost (November 21, 2021) because details matter to him that much. You can feel that precision in the way he supports customers: clear, fast, and tuned-in to what you’re trying to build. A Live Chat Captain based in Colombia, Ruiz pairs WordPress know-how with a calm presence that turns panic into a plan.
But Ruiz’s story isn’t just about sharp technical skills. It’s about resilience: the kind built through persistence, loss, and learning.
The Long Road to “You’re Hired”
Ruiz didn’t land at DreamHost on his first try, or even his second. Before joining the team, he worked in business development at a tech-focused sales company, learning the ins and outs of different products and industries. Still, DreamHost was the goal.
Ruiz didn’t get hired on the first try, but he didn’t take no for an answer. He did what resilient people do best when they really want something they know they’d be good at: he kept going.
“After my application was rejected, I didn’t give up. I kept insisting I had the passion for customers that I had seen in my own interactions with DreamHost,” Ruiz said.
With help from a friend (and current DreamHoster) Nelson Armas, he doubled down on learning MySQL, Linux, WordPress, and the broader web ecosystem. Weeks of studying turned into months, and rejection turned into progress. And eventually, the email came: DreamHost wanted to interview him.
That persistence is now part of what he brings to customers every day: a steady, “we’ll figure this out” energy that comes from having done it himself.
DreamHost as a Place to Heal and Grow
When Ruiz talks about what makes DreamHost’s culture different, there’s one word he comes back to: people.
A couple of years into his time here, Ruiz experienced a devastating loss when his sister passed away in a tragic accident. He expected the standard corporate response, a few days off and a quick return to normal. Except that’s not what happened. His manager, Evan Stanton, told him to take the time he needed and checked in regularly to make sure he was okay. For Ruiz, that support wasn’t just kind; it was life-changing.
It reinforced something he now believes deeply: DreamHost isn’t a place where employees are treated like numbers. It’s a place where people show up for each other. It feels like family to him.
“This is a company that doesn’t see their employees just as numbers, but that they’re really human,” Ruiz said. “I never felt like I belonged to a place as if they were my family as I’ve been feeling that with DreamHost since the beginning.”
Resilience in the Work, Too
Ruiz’s resilience also shows up in how he approaches his work. He loves learning because no two tech support days are the same. Right now, he’s on the growth path program, focusing on leadership, communication, and coaching (to him, the difference between being a boss and being a leader).
He’s also honest about the moments that tested him. Less than a year ago, he hit a rough patch at work and worried his performance might cost him his job. Instead of spiraling, he paused, reflected, and built a plan to improve, pulling directly from lessons he’d learned reading Atomic Habits by James Clear.
“There was a certain time where I was really thinking that at some point I was getting fired because my workflow was a mess,” Ruiz recalled. “So I took this time to analyze. The guidance of the book helped me structure a plan to solve the problem.”
That reset worked. Ruiz’s performance surged, he earned recognition from his managers, and he moved forward in his growth path. It’s a reminder that resilience isn’t without its struggles, it’s learning how to climb back out.
Life Beyond the Tickets
Outside of work, Ruiz’s resilience takes more fun forms.
Ruiz is the oldest of five siblings, with one living in Spain. He’s a longtime musician who taught himself guitar as a kid and now plays bass in a band with fellow DreamHoster, Chris (Ash) Sanclemente. Their setup is basically the DreamHost version of a garage band, except the “garage” is Discord.
He’s also a big reader of personal growth and finance books (again, Atomic Habits is his MVP). And then there are his cats: Billy and Mandy, named after The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy because their personalities match the characters perfectly.
Billy, in particular, has become a symbol of Ruiz’s whole outlook. Earlier this year, Billy fell from an eighth-floor window and survived with serious injuries, multiple surgeries, and enough casts to make him look like he’s starring in his own superhero origin story. Miguel didn’t hesitate: he found a way to cover the costs, leaned on community support, and focused on Billy’s daily recovery.
Billy’s still healing, but he’s alive, stubbornly upbeat, and, in Ruiz’s words, incredibly resilient. (There’s that word again!)
Looking Ahead Five Years
Ask Miguel where he sees himself in five years and he responds without hesitation: “I see the next one to three years as growing in this tech support leader role,” Ruiz stated. (Note: He totally crushed this goal already by advancing from International WordPress Specialist to Live Chat Captain). “And by years three to five, I’m aiming for a management position. That’s what I’m striving for.”
Resilience got him to DreamHost and helped him grow here. Resilience is why customers feel so well cared for when Ruiz is on the other side of the chat.
Want to work with people like Miguel? Check out our careers page and discover what else makes DreamHost’s culture so special. Next month, get ready to meet a former flight attendant and current DreamHost Project Coordinator who shares her passion for proactive communications, solving unsolved mysteries, and her three cats!