The heart of the work: Stories from our Filipino colleagues

At Crescendo, a job shouldn't just be a means to an end. Rather, it’s the fuel that supports the life you want to live.

From day one, our founders established Crescendo to be a vehicle for elevating lives and careers globally. With deep roots in both the Philippines and the West, our goal is true partnership, not outsourcing. We view every team member—spanning the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific—as an equal.

Our mission isn't just to provide a wage, but a space where team members can truly thrive. To see that vision in action, we asked Jowel, Jimmy, and Yuki for their stories.

Here is what life looks like from their side of the screen.

For lead developer Jowel Castañeda, the last five years have been a story of constant evolution. He transitioned from a mid-level contributor to a key leader, but unlike in previous roles, this expansion of responsibility didn't come with the usual price tag of exhaustion.

"Crescendo is a work-from-home setup," Jowel explains. "I still have time to spend with my family. I don't feel significant burnout ... it's more of a challenge for us on a day-to-day basis."

That balance is about to become vital. Jowel (29) recently shared that he and his wife are expecting their first baby.

"I’m entering fatherhood," he says. "I started at Crescendo as a mid-level developer. [The company] prepared me for those challenges in life. I make sure that I still have balance ... but also I don't forget my main goal, which is to make sure that I improve my life and improve my career."

Guided by his motto—"One person's success is a team's success"—Jowel proves that high-performance leadership doesn't have to come at the expense of supporting his growing family.

To understand how much life has changed for QA Lead Jimmy Laganson, look at his travel schedule. For 15 years, Jimmy lived a grueling routine: commuting by plane from his rural home to Manila, working all week, and only seeing his family on weekends.

"That had been my routine for the previous 15 years," he recalls.

Joining Crescendo allowed him to reclaim those lost hours. He’s no longer eating alone in a rented apartment. Instead, he's a family anchor, spending his spare time baking and cooking Spanish-style dishes for his siblings and cousins.

"I usually cooked [just for myself] because I just stayed there alone," Jimmy says. "But here, I can cook for my siblings. I can spend time with them here. I'd say that life is more balanced now."

That flexibility even opened up the world to him—literally. Jimmy recently returned from a month-long trip to Europe, working his shifts from different cities without missing a beat.

For Producer Yuki Sakakibara, the shift to Crescendo was a total "game changer" for her role as a mother.

"It lets me be a truly present parent to my boys!" Yuki shares. "I actually have the time and energy to fully engage in my home life. It just shows how much they respect that we have lives outside of work."

But Yuki is quick to point out that flexibility doesn't mean a lack of professional rigor. She credits her time here with teaching her complex client strategy and leadership skills she couldn't learn in a classroom. For her, the equation is simple: a supported employee is a better employee.

"This improved balance makes me a better, more dedicated employee," she notes. "It shows that when a company takes care of its people, the commitment and productivity returned will always be fruitful for everyone."

The ripple effects of work and life

Listening to Jowel, Jimmy, and Yuki, a common theme emerges. Whether it’s preparing for a first child, cooking dinner for extended family, or being present for your sons, the impact of a healthy workplace ripples out far beyond the hours of 9 to 5.

This reinforces the vision we started with: our true power has never been in our tech stack or our tools, but in the people we work with. We are incredibly proud of the team we are building—not just because of the work they deliver, but because of the lives they are living.