Betsy Wills is the co-founder of YouScience, a national online psychometric-assessment and the Director of Marketing at Diversified Trust, a wealth management firm. A guest lecturer at Vanderbilt University and at New York University Stern School of Business, Betsy also serves on the board of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice. Betsy has also been a featured speaker for Ted Women. Her book with Alex Ellison, Your Hidden Genius, helps readers discover their innate talents, interests and personality traits to find happiness and career success.
"At 32, I stood in front of my mirror, believing my life was largely decided. I had a loving husband, two beautiful children, a strong education and a clear path forward as a mother, volunteer and engaged family member in my hometown of Nashville, TN. Life was comfortable, predictable. But one morning, everything changed with a simple glance at a photograph.
On the shelf sat a picture I had taken when my daughter was just two months old. In the image, she was surrounded by three generations of women - myself, her two grandmothers, and her four great-grandmothers, all of whom were still alive that day, each in their nineties. Looking at their faces, a startling realisation hit me: if my gene pool was any indication, I was far from the midpoint of my life. Instead of settling into a predetermined trajectory, I had decades ahead of me - decades I could either passively accept or actively shape.
I suddenly saw my life not as a planned journey but as a car ride where I was simply a passenger. The question wasn’t whether I was moving forward; it was whether I was driving. This realisation struck like lightning and I knew I had to take control. I called my best friend, sharing my epiphany. Her response was immediate and unconventional: “Go get your aptitudes tested at the Johnson O’Connor Research Laboratory.”
A Lab Rat Finds Herself
Most people wouldn’t consider aptitude testing a life-altering experience, but for me, it was. The process felt surreal - part science experiment, part personal revelation. I was tested on everything from spatial visualisation and idea generation to my ability to distinguish hues of colour and manipulate tiny objects with tweezers. The tests were objective, measuring my natural talents rather than my acquired knowledge. It was thrilling, humbling and unexpectedly emotional.
The counsellors explained that our aptitudes - the natural abilities wired into our brains - do not change after puberty. Unlike skills, which can be developed, aptitudes reveal the seeds of what we are inherently good at. This was a radical shift in thinking. Instead of striving to be someone I thought I should be, I could lean into who I already was.
I left with a profound sense of clarity. I no longer saw people as flawed versions of myself but as individuals with their own unique aptitudes. This insight deepened my empathy, strengthened my relationships and gave me a newfound confidence in my abilities. More than anything, it ignited a curiosity about how these insights could change lives - not just mine, but others’ as well.
From Insight to Impact
With my newfound knowledge, I embarked on an unexpected journey. I earned a master’s degree on weekends at Vanderbilt University and later entered the financial services industry. My boss, intrigued by my aptitude testing experience, saw its potential and suggested we make it accessible to a broader audience. Aptitude assessments had long been expensive and exclusive, but we envisioned a way to bring them to the masses.
This led to the co-founding of YouScience, a company dedicated to helping people discover their natural abilities through technology-driven assessments. By transforming the once-analogue testing process into a scalable digital experience, we could reach students worldwide. Today, YouScience is used in over 25% of U.S. high schools and more than 600 universities worldwide. We set out to alleviate the crushing debt caused by misaligned career choices and aimless academic pursuits, offering young people an objective tool to guide their futures.
But as YouScience grew, I realised that my own transformation had not happened in high school - it had happened in adulthood. And if aptitudes don’t change, their application isn’t limited to teenagers. This realisation led me to a new mission: sharing this knowledge with an even broader audience through writing.
The Birth of Your Hidden Genius
The idea for my book, Your Hidden Genius, was born from a simple but powerful truth: people of all ages deserve access to the knowledge of their aptitudes. I wanted to provide an accessible way for anyone, at any stage of life, to unlock their potential. The book not only shares my journey but also includes a code for readers to take their own aptitude assessment.
But Your Hidden Genius is more than just my story - it’s a collection of voices from ages 17 to 75 who took the aptitude assessment and discovered new ways to apply their innate talents. From a dog trainer in Seattle to the Usher of the U.S. White House, from an anaesthesiologist to celebrity chefs, the book explores how aptitudes influence career satisfaction, steer life choices and even unlock hidden avocations. These real-world examples demonstrate how our natural strengths shape not just our work, but our happiness and fulfilment.
Reading these stories, you can’t help but wonder: What are my own hidden aptitudes? How might they be shaping my life in ways I don’t yet realise? The book invites you to embark on your own journey of discovery, uncovering the strengths that have been within you all along.
The Power of Knowing Yourself
One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned is that we tend to lock into our lives too early, mistaking stability for fulfilment. We cling to pre-set paths, believing change is impractical or impossible. But life is full of unexpected turns - some for the worse, but many for the better. In Greek, the word “crisis” means both danger and opportunity. Whether we see it as one or the other depends on our mindset.
Understanding our aptitudes is not just an opportunity - it’s a responsibility. When we align our work, relationships, and personal pursuits with our natural strengths, we experience greater joy, productivity and purpose. And the best part? It’s never too late to start.
I don’t know what’s next for me. But I do know who I am - and that makes all the difference."
