Nextgenify Masterclass | Discovering Your Natural Strengths

In this engaging masterclass, Nextgenify Academy’s Cherie Mylordis sits down with AbilityMap Co-Founder and CEO, Mike Erlin, to explore how understanding your natural strengths can transform your career, leadership potential, and team performance.

Mike shares the story behind AbilityMap’s groundbreaking tool, the Ability Imprint, and how it helps individuals uncover their innate capabilities across 31 core human skills — from communication and empathy to problem-solving and leadership.

Together, Cherie and Mike unpack:

• Why uncovering your natural strengths matters
• How the Ability Imprint works (and what you’ll get from it)
• What your results can reveal about your ideal roles or future development
• Real-world examples of how individuals and teams have used this insight to thrive

Whether you’re exploring your next step or want to better understand your strengths as a leader, this session offers practical and powerful tools to support your growth.

Cherie Mylordis: Hello everyone and welcome to another NextGenify Academy masterclass. I’m so excited to be here today with my friend and colleague, Mike Erlin, co-founder and CEO of AbilityMap. Today, we’re diving into “Discovering Your Natural Strengths” through a powerful tool called the Ability Imprint.

Mike leads a visionary and disruptive venture that’s changing how people find work and how businesses find the right people—by identifying natural abilities and aligning them with the human skill needs of a business.

Cherie: Mike, welcome! It’s so great to have you here.

Mike Erlin: Thanks, Cherie. Hello NextGenify members—this is going to be a good one!

The Origin of AbilityMap

Cherie: Let’s start with your story. How did AbilityMap come to be? What problem were you trying to solve?

Mike: There are two sides to that story—mine and my co-founder Kevin Chandler’s. My journey began in the late ’90s at an e-learning company. I managed half the business, working with major clients like Intuit and Mazda. But I kept hearing the same challenge from CFOs: “You’re telling us these are the right skills, but where’s the evidence?” That stuck with me.

At the same time, I was inspired by the idea of measuring human capability, like the FICO credit score does for financial worthiness. I wanted a way to objectively determine someone’s natural ability to learn and perform.

Kevin, meanwhile, had founded Chandler Macleod Group, a billion-dollar staffing company. He’d used psychometric testing for years but saw the limitations—around one-third of placements didn’t stick. Together, we realised we could build something that truly aligned people’s innate capabilities with job demands.

What Is the Ability Imprint?

Cherie: So tell us—what is the Ability Imprint and how does it work?

Mike: The Imprint is part of the broader AbilityMap solution. First, define the skills a role requires. Then, assess an individual’s natural capabilities across 31 core human skills. Lastly, compare the two—objectively and quantitatively.

The Imprint captures your natural strengths via advanced psychometric assessments. But instead of relying on human interpretation, we use algorithms to translate results into clear indicators of skill capability. This removes bias and subjectivity, making the process scalable and accessible.

Cherie: So it’s really about unlocking self-awareness, helping people align with roles that suit their strengths—and avoid roles that drain them.

Mike: Exactly. It’s about friction. You can still perform a task even if it doesn’t come naturally—but it takes far more energy. Understanding both your strengths and your areas of friction helps you make informed decisions about how you work and where you’re headed.

Using the Imprint: Tips for Members

Cherie: What are your top tips for how members can use the Imprint?

Mike: Great question. First, you get a detailed report with your top strengths—your superpowers. That alone offers valuable insight.

Second, use those strengths to reflect on your current role or future opportunities. Are you playing to your strengths? Is there a better fit elsewhere?

Third, you can complete the “My Best Self” exercise—where you define the strengths you aspire to grow into. Comparing that to your Imprint results highlights growth opportunities.

Cherie: That really resonated with me when I did it. I was surprised to see “handling authority” as a strength—it didn’t feel like me. But when I reflected, I realised it was true in certain situations where I needed to step up.

Mike: That’s a perfect example. You don’t have to use a strength all the time for it to be real. The point is, it’s available to you when you need it.

Why This Matters Now

Cherie: Let’s zoom out. What shifts are you seeing in how organisations approach talent and capability?

Mike: The big shift is moving away from just education and experience toward adaptability—natural capability. Roles evolve fast, especially with AI in the mix. If you understand someone’s innate abilities, you understand how they’ll adapt.

We worked with Salesforce and SAP—two very different companies—and their top-performing salespeople required totally different human skills. Why? Because their business cultures and customer expectations are different.

Cherie: That’s so powerful. Resumes and qualifications only tell part of the story. Tools like the Imprint reveal hidden potential.

Mike: Exactly. We help organisations identify that potential, and we help individuals understand themselves better so they can make choices that are right for them.

Closing Thoughts & How to Get Started

Cherie: So to recap, members can complete the Ability Imprint—about 45–60 minutes with four short assessments. You’ll get a report with your top eight strengths. From there, you can explore your current and future fit, and optionally do the “My Best Self” step to go deeper.

You can also share the link with your team or reach out to Mike if you’re looking at using this in hiring.

Mike: Yes, we offer a cost-effective self-serve model for businesses. Just visit abilitymap.com and click “Get Started.”

Cherie: Thanks so much, Mike. This was such a rich discussion. Understanding our strengths is one of the most powerful things we can do—for ourselves, our teams, and our careers.

Mike: Thank you, Cherie. It’s been a pleasure.