The Story Behind YouScience: Reflecting, Discovering, and Empowering

One morning, as I brushed my teeth and stared into the mirror, the truth hit me like a ton of bricks. At 33, I was living a life that looked enviable from the outside—married to a wonderful partner, raising healthy kids, working a solid job, and contributing to my community. But deep down, something felt… off. I wasn’t miserable, but I wasn’t fulfilled. It felt like I was going through the motions in someone else’s life, not fully engaged in my own.  

A friend, sensing my inner turmoil, suggested I take an aptitude assessment at the Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation. My first thought? Aptitude assessment? Is that a fancy term for telling me I missed my calling as a circus performer? I didn’t know what to expect, but I was intrigued enough to go.  

Two days of assessments later, my world cracked wide open. Suddenly, I understood why certain activities left me energized and others drained me. I learned how my brain was wired—my natural strengths and abilities that had always been there, but which I hadn’t fully understood. It was like being handed the instruction manual to me.  

Armed with this newfound clarity, I made some changes. I went back to school at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, studying Leadership and Organizational Development to understand how to help others discover their unique potential. That journey led to the creation of The Brain Spa, a program aimed at helping people—especially women re-entering the workforce—rediscover their aptitudes and passions.  

But here’s the twist: the people who showed up weren’t who I expected. Instead of women trying to navigate career changes, I found myself sitting across from middle-aged men—lawyers, executives, and other professionals—who were stuck in their own way. They didn’t hate their jobs; they just felt out of sync. They’d say things like, “I’m good at my work, but it doesn’t light me up. Is that normal?” Spoiler alert: it is. That’s when I realized something powerful—this isn’t a niche problem. Everyone, at some point, wrestles with the question of alignment: Am I doing what I was truly built to do?  

The real challenge, though, was accessibility. My experience at Johnson O’Connor had been transformative, but it was also expensive—too expensive for most people. How could more people access this kind of life-changing insight without breaking the bank? That question planted the seed for what would eventually become YouScience.

The Birth of YouScience: Democratizing Aptitude Discovery 

YouScience was built on a bold idea: career guidance needed a revolution. For too long, it had been stuck in the stone age, relying on outdated tools like interest-only surveys and self-reported instruments, such as StrengthsFinder. While these methods have their place, they often provide surface-level insights based on what people think they like or are good at—a subjective approach prone to bias and limited accuracy. True career alignment requires something deeper: a scientific understanding of innate aptitudes, the hardwired abilities that define how we think and solve problems.

YouScience represents an evolution, a breakthrough enabled by technology. Much like health care has become personalized through data-driven tools and dating has been revolutionized by smart algorithms, YouScience leverages advanced assessments to uncover what makes each person uniquely capable. It’s no longer about guessing or following generic advice; it’s about revealing the natural strengths people didn’t even know they had.

With the right team in place, YouScience came to life. Under the leadership of Philip Hardin as Chairman and Edson Barton as CEO, the platform grew from a visionary idea into a game-changing solution. YouScience doesn’t just uncover natural abilities; it translates them into actionable insights, connecting individuals to career pathways, certifications, and roles in high-demand industries.

Today, YouScience is leading the charge to bridge the gap between potential and purpose, ensuring career guidance evolves to meet the needs of a modern, dynamic workforce.

What sets YouScience apart is its foundation in decades of research and expertise. Thanks to the contributions of leaders like Dr. Rich Feller and Dr. David B. Pruitt, the platform continues to innovate, ensuring that every user—whether a high school student, a mid-career professional, or someone exploring their next chapter—gets insights that are not only personalized but actionable.  

For those of you who work at YouScience, know this: every feature you design, every customer question you answer, and every problem you solve contributes to this mission. You’re helping people take control of their lives and align their unique strengths with meaningful work. For our users, YouScience is more than a tool; it’s a guide, a bridge, and a catalyst for growth.

Why I Wrote Your Hidden Genius: Turning Insights into Action

Even as YouScience continued to empower thousands of people, one recurring question kept coming up: Okay, now I know my aptitudes. What do I do with this information? People loved discovering their natural abilities, but many felt overwhelmed about how to apply those insights. That’s why Alex Ellison and I wrote Your Hidden Genius.  

The book is the next step—a deeper dive into what your aptitudes reveal and how to use them to thrive. But here’s the thing: this isn’t just a career book. Sure, it’ll help you find work that aligns with your strengths, but it’s also about something bigger—crafting a life that feels true to who you are.  

Your aptitudes influence everything: how you lead, how you collaborate, how you problem-solve, and even how you approach hobbies or side projects. They’re the foundation of what I call “career wellness”—a healthy, balanced relationship with work that energizes rather than depletes you.  

The book is packed with stories, tips, and strategies to help you connect the dots between what you’re naturally good at and how you can apply that to work, relationships, and even play. It’s for anyone who’s tired of feeling stuck or out of sync and ready to steer their life in a more authentic direction.  

For YouScience employees, Your Hidden Genius reflects everything we stand for. It’s a reminder of why we do this work—to help people uncover the brilliance within themselves. For our users, the book is an invitation to take what you’ve learned from YouScience and turn it into something transformative.  

So, whether you’re here as part of the team or as someone using YouScience to unlock your potential, this book is for you. It’s about moving from understanding to action, from surviving to thriving.  

The road ahead is wide open. The keys are in your hand. Let’s drive!