A Cup of Coupa With … Dijorn Anderson

Maria will interview distinguished citizens of the GSB in this new column. Here: Dijorn Anderson, a coordinator at the GSB Schwab Residence. He is also a singer/songwriter and recently formed a band called “The Fuzzy Slippers” with several GSB students.

Maria: You are a “coordinator” at Schwab. What does a coordinator do?

Whoever walks into those doors, it is my job to make sure their needs are taken care of. We’re problem solvers! Whatever it is you need, I may not have it at that moment, but I guarantee you I know someone who can help us out. There was recently an exec, Salem, who wanted a Magic Leap One augmented-reality headset. I called the company to see if they could ship it, and they were like, “there’s absolutely no way you can get this.” So over the next three days, I spent 15 hours on the phone with their customer service, and it went from waiting for a 90-day shipping period to “you’re going to get it in three days.” It cost $2,300 and I tried running his credit card to pay for it, but they needed an American credit card. I didn’t know this man from anywhere but I figured he was trustworthy so I did it. I was able to deliver and Salem held up his end of the deal. I met him at the airport minutes before he boarded his flight and he left me with some knowledge. He said “When you are doing business, №1, you need trust. №2, Always pay your debts.”

You previously worked as a “solutions specialist” at Verizon in the suburbs of Georgia. How the heck did you find your way here?

It’s my guitar’s fault! I was working for a mechanical engineering firm in the South Bay. I walked around Stanford’s campus and I told myself, “Oh my gosh, I have to make it here.” My buddy was doing a course here so I came to see him. One day he was in his classes, and what else did I have to do aside from play my guitar? So I’m playing a song, my eyes are closed, I’m in the zone. Then I open my eyes and this guy is sitting there staring at me. He says, “You know, you have a really beautiful voice.” I tell him thank you, and we start talking. He’s telling me about his wife, his kids, the things that he likes to do. He asks me about myself, and I tell him that I moved here from Atlanta because I’m out here really trying to grow and develop myself as a human being, that I was an R.A. in college and did sales work. After a while, he says, “Would you be interested in a job?” That was Lawrence Wilson, the Schwab front desk manager. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be here right now.

You have been known to serenade visiting executives at the entrance to Schwab with your guitar. How did that come about? Which song is most popular with the execs?

Every once in a while, I’ll bring my guitar to work. I’ll get a few moments in the lobby where it gets quiet and there’s no one walking through, and I’ll just take a few moments and play a little. And then someone just pops in the door and says, “Hey, that sounds wonderful. Can you sing me a song?” I just like the creative expression of music. No matter what language you speak, music has the power to break all barriers. I like to share that with people. My favorite song to play right now is probably “Are You Living?” by Gap Band.

What do you think of GSB students?

I love them. Everyone’s different in their own way, and that’s the thing that really gets me pumped up. The GSB students are world class. What I’ve learned from them is, №1, don’t be afraid to go for your dreams. You might get a no, but it’s not a no, indefinitely. It’s a “you can’t do this right now” or “this might not be the best time.” If you have a vision, go for it. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says, just stay laser-focused and keep on.

What have you taught them?

Live every single day with gratitude. Each day isn’t going to be your best but if you put a smile on your face, a pep in your step, and lead with enthusiasm, that right there will get you far.

What does your name mean?

My mom kind of made it up. I believe as I’m going through life and I find the things that mean the most to me, there’s going to be a point where I say, “this is the meaning.” The definition of Dijorn right now is: a people servant and people leader. I want to help people in developing nations and developing economies grow. And I believe that the best way to do that is through business. But what’s crazy is that everyone calls me Jamie at home. They’ve been calling me that ever since I was a little kid, because everyone has nicknames where I come from.

Quickfire

Favorite book: On Confidence — The School of life

Favorite movie: “Forrest Gump”

Favorite fountain on Stanford campus: Hoover Tower fountain

If you were a vegetable, what would you be and why? A carrot. I like orange, and they taste good. You can just pick up a carrot and start eating it.

With whom would you most want a cup of coupa? My Grandpa

What’s missing from the Coupa menu? Eggs in the morning on weekdays

If you had to name all the squirrels at Stanford, what would you call the first three? There’s one named Bennie. He eats everything from the trash can by Schwab. It doesn’t matter what it is, salami — I didn’t know squirrels ate meat, but they do here at Stanford. I’d call the other two Dave Hasselhoff and Jim.

What tree do you most fear? The Stanford tree