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

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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Coco Brown Athena Alliance

Coco Brown, CEO & Founder, Athena Alliance

Coco Brown is an inspirational entrepreneur who’s served on boards and has led teams through tough economic downturns. She now is living her life’s passion to help women in the latter stages of their careers; whether they’re seeking board seats or wanting to start their own businesses. The Athena Alliance is a powerful network serving women across the US to network, learn, and support each other in their professional endeavors.

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wharton professor pete fader

Pete Fader – Wharton Marketing Professor

Pete is my favorite Wharton professor. There I’ve said it! His deep interest in data, passion for teaching, and drawing out curiosities from his students changed my career. He shares his journey as a young professor all the way through selling an analytics company focused on customer lifetime value to Nike. Using the same concepts, Pete and his partners applied them to corporate valuation, which has been extremely appealing to investment banks, private equity companies and venture funds.

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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