Welcome to MENTOR dna

Welcome to MENTOR dna, a leadership podcast hosted by Meesh Pierce. I welcome you to drop in as I talk to my c-suite friends about what makes them tick, lessons they’ve learned through their career successes and failures, and memories we share through the decades spent growing up in our careers. MENTOR dna is your backstage pass to learning how to reach your next career goal - whether as a manager or serving on a board.

Recent podcast guests

Dave Liu Wall St. tech veteran

Dave Liu – Tech Investment Banker, CEO Advisor

Dave Liu has an incredible story; one filled with moments of grit, perseverance, and tenacity. He calls it desperation, but I KNOW it’s what we all want to see in ourselves, our teams and kids. He battled through adversity and found his way through critical observation and study of the human psyche.

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Susan Natland, Sr. Partner, Knobbe Martens

Susan Natland, Sr. Partner Knobbe Martens

I’d never given much thought to intellectual property law until one of our investment portfolio companies ran into lawsuits by trademark trolls. I’ve since learned about the subtle nuance of protecting and defending your ideas. Susan Natland is a partner at Knobbe Martens, a law firm specializing in intellectual property and also serves as Vice Chair of the USPTO Trademark Advisory Committee and we had a fantastic chat about staying true to yourself.

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Casey Courneen - CEO, President and Founder Blackstone Technology Group

Casey Courneen, CEO Blackstone Technology Group

When you arrive in West Philly sight unseen from SoCal, it’s comforting to meet another Californian from a surf town. Casey and I became fast friends and I’m so stoked that he’s taken time to share his story. He’s quietly run a tech consulting firm servicing governmental agencies, utilities and other clients needing deep custom technical systems software development. But what I admire most about Casey is his deep sense of commitment to his family and friends, which I also know transcends to his teams at work.

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MENTOR dna's host

Meesh Pierce is a former executive who’s worked with fantastic leaders throughout her career in tech, entertainment, and corporate and non-profit boards. MENTOR dna brings these leaders into the spotlight to share their stories. Consider MENTOR dna your VIP coaching session with  hard-to-reach executives across a variety of industries.  

Leadership books

Following is an extensive list of recommended leadership books from my podcast guests. 

  • Getting to Yes

    Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In.

  • The Goal

    The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement

  • Stocks for the Long Run

    Stocks for the Long Run: The Definitive Guide to Financial Market Returns & Long-Term Investment Strategies

  • Team of Rivals

    Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

  • The One Minute Manager

    The New One Minute Manager offers a way for you to succeed sooner with less stress in changing times—both at work and at home.

  • Good to Great

    Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't