If you’ve ever watched Criminal Minds, you know the moment the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) team gathers, clues are scattered, and somewhere in the chaos is the answer. It just takes the right person to connect the dots.
For Freddieraida Tañedo, those moments don’t happen in interrogation rooms or briefing spaces. They happen inside WordPress dashboards, plugins, themes, and lines of code.
As an International WordPress Support Specialist at DreamHost, Tañedo approaches technical issues with the same investigative mindset: methodical and driven by curiosity. She isn’t satisfied with just fixing what’s broken, but she wants to understand why it broke and how to prevent it from happening again.
That mix of curiosity and problem-solving energy defines how Tañedo supports customers every day and what makes her a standout on the DreamHost Tech Support team.
Finding a Workplace That Listens
Tañedo has been with DreamHost for over three years, and from the beginning, the culture stood out to her.
“It’s friendly, open, and flexible. Everyone is open to giving suggestions without judgment even if it’s wrong or right.”
Unlike past workplaces where feedback felt like a closed door, DreamHost encouraged conversation, and managers and captains regularly checked in to ensure team members felt supported and heard.
That openness became especially meaningful when Tañedo was invited to assist with a Tech Support project that included helping build websites she didn’t feel fully prepared for. “They were asking if I needed help, if I was familiar with the proces––s,” Tañedo said. “People were willing to walk me through everything.” Instead of being left to figure it out alone, she was guided every step of the way. “I think they saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.”
Tañedo is now part of the team that helps customers get online through DreamHost’s free website build program, the same kind of hands-on support she once received now extended to others.
From Technical Support to WordPress Specialist
Tañedo started her journey at DreamHost in Technical Support but noticed a pattern in the tickets she enjoyed most: WordPress issues. The more she helped customers troubleshoot their sites, the more fascinated she became with how WordPress works beneath the surface.
Today, she supports a wide range of customers, from small business owners to larger online platforms. Her goal is simple but powerful: to help customers feel confident when they leave the conversation. “Our goal is first-time resolution,” Tañedo said. “If they contact us again, we hope it’s for a different issue.”
She also understands how much is at stake.
“Their website is their business. Their life.”
That perspective shapes how she approaches every interaction, by taking time to explain not just what went wrong, but why, and what customers can do moving forward.
Learning the Tools (and Loving Them)
One of the biggest learning curves for Tañedo was using SSH (Secure Shell) for troubleshooting. In her previous roles, it wasn’t a primary tool, and at first, it felt intimidating.
“[SSH] It’s not easy at first, but once you get through it, it’s faster and more efficient.”
With help from her captains and teammates, SSH became an essential part of her workflow allowing her to troubleshoot efficiently without unnecessary delays. When experimenting with new tools, Tañedo often tests changes on her own DreamHost website first, ensuring mistakes happen on her side, not a customer’s.
Channeling Her Inner Penelope Garcia
Outside of work, Tañedo loves binge-watching TV series and is a huge Criminal Minds fan. While she admires characters like Emily Prentiss, there’s one character she feels especially connected to during a tricky troubleshooting session: Penelope Garcia.“When I’m troubleshooting, I feel like Garcia,” Tañedo laughed. “I have to find the culprit: is it the plugin, the theme, the code?”
Just like Garcia narrows down suspects, Tañedo systematically identifies what’s causing a website issue. “Instead of finding the criminal, I’m finding what’s breaking the website.”
Tañedo’s Keys to Staying Grounded
When it’s time to unwind, Tañedo’s focus shifts from websites to family. She lives in the Philippines with her older sister, Kathy, and their parents. She loves to travel and explore new places, but finds her center at home. The sisters are incredibly close. So close that Tañedo jokes they’re practically twins. Along with their younger sister, Ivy, they spend their free time on food trips, long conversations, and regular milk tea runs.
“We eat, we talk, we share everything. If we’re stressed or upset, we talk it out, and then we’re okay.” Those moments help her recharge and bring balance to her days.
A Caregiver at Heart
One fact that surprises many people: Tañedo is a nursing graduate. While she didn’t end up working in a hospital, her instinct to care for others never left.
“We’re not born knowing everything. If you want it, you study and work hard for it.”
That mindset helped her transition from nursing to web hosting, and ultimately to WordPress support where compassion and education matter as much as technical skill.
Tañedo’s Future DreamHost Goals
Right now, Tañedo is focused on deepening her WordPress expertise. In the future, she hopes to mentor new team members and eventually lead a team once she feels fully confident navigating every facet of WordPress. For now, she’s exactly where she wants to be.
“I’m excited every time I log in. I know the people I work with are always ready to help me.”
And that’s what makes Tañedo such a powerful example of DreamHost support: she brings curiosity, compassion, and investigative energy to every challenge helping customers, supporting teammates, and solving WordPress mysteries one case at a time.
Want to work with people like Tañedo? Check out our careers page and discover what else makes DreamHost’s culture so special. Next month, meet our Tech Support Manager as he shares his inspiring seven-year journey at DreamHost, the value of a supportive work culture, and his impressive collection of Gunpla models! You’ll also get the inside scoop on his adorable multi-pet family!