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

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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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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Dan Smith, ALT-CMO and JimmyCase on MENTOR dna

Dan Smith – CEO, ALT-CMO and JIMMYCASE

Dan and I served together on the board for the Wharton Club of Southern California for many years. He’s a former executive at Playboy, Fox and American Gladiators and is a digital marketing expert. He’s parlayed his learnings from his TV days into consumer product ventures like JIMMYCASE, and is a consummate connector as he runs Marketing Mondays for Wharton SoCal.

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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