What if you don't know what you're passionate about yet?

Alex Tecle has spent nearly 15 years in emergency nursing, including nine years serving veterans in the ER at the VA in Fayetteville, Arkansas. But nursing wasn't a career he dreamed up on his own. It was a path shaped by his father's wisdom, people who cared enough to speak into his life, hands-on experience, and eventually a realization that the work fit him far better than he initially expected.

In this episode, Alex shares what life as an ER nurse actually looks like, including a few unforgettable stories from the emergency room. We talk about why adaptability and humility matter in high-pressure environments, how curiosity can make you better at your work, and why listening to wise people in your life can change your trajectory.

We also explore mentorship, faith, professional growth, and an idea every young person trying to figure out their future should hear: you don't necessarily have to discover your passion before you begin. Sometimes passion grows after you start doing the work.

If you're trying to figure out what you want to do with your life, this conversation is a reminder to stay curious, try things, listen to people you trust, and keep taking the next step.

What happens when your career doesn't go according to plan?

Jasper Risenhoover's path has included photography, communications, internships, ministry, graduate school, social media, and now entrepreneurship. Along the way, he's learned that finding your vocation isn't always about having a perfect plan. Sometimes it's about taking the next step, learning from what's in front of you, and trusting God with where it leads.

In this episode of VoQuest, Jasper shares how early interests in photography and storytelling grew into a career in social media and eventually led him to launch FaithWrite, an AI-powered tool designed to help Christian creators develop content and share their message.

We talk about whether college was worth it, the value of internships and mentors, and what a difficult season of unemployment taught Jasper about separating his identity from his career. We also explore the intersection of faith and work, and why Christians shouldn't be afraid to engage with emerging technology like AI.

Jasper also shares the advice he'd give his 18-year-old self: embrace the process, don't worry about having everything figured out, and don't give up when the path looks different than you expected.

In this conversation:

• How Jasper turned an early interest in photography into a career in media
• Whether college was worth the investment for him
• Why internships, mentors, and relationships can shape your direction
• What unemployment and career setbacks taught him about identity and work
• Building FaithWrite and experimenting with entrepreneurship
• AI, social media, and opportunities for Christians to influence culture
• Why your career and your calling don't have to be separate
• Jasper's advice for young people trying to figure out what comes next

Learn more about Jasper and his work:

Jasper Risenhoover on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasper-daniel-risenhoover-aa6881269/

FaithWrite
https://faithwrite.app/

Mentioned in the episode:

Faith Driven Entrepreneur
https://faithdrivenentrepreneur.org/

At 17, Bryce Holloway thought he was going to become a dentist. At 23, he spends most of the year living in South America and serves as CEO of Investor Signals, a startup connecting founders with investors.

So how did he get from one to the other?

In this episode of the VoQuest Podcast, Bryce shares the unconventional path that took him from flipping cars and experimenting with making money online to traveling through South America, building a business, developing expertise in startup fundraising, and eventually stepping into leadership at Investor Signals.

We talk about how startup fundraising actually works, why relationships matter so much in venture capital, what it's really like to work inside an early-stage company, and the skills young people can develop to make themselves valuable in fast-moving environments.

One idea stands out above the rest: develop your "figure it out" muscle.

Bryce explains why integrity, resourcefulness, sales ability, consistency, curiosity, and the willingness to solve problems without waiting for someone to hand you instructions can dramatically increase the opportunities available to you.

We also talk about taking risks while you're young, learning from failure, avoiding lifestyle inflation, building relationships, and why Bryce's advice to his 17-year-old self isn't to find the perfect career, but to go down more rabbit holes.

Because the more interests you explore, the more you're exposed to. And the more you're exposed to, the more opportunities you can discover.

Connect with Bryce & Explore

Bryce Holloway on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryce-holloway123/

Investor Signals:
https://www.investorsignals.co/

Looking for opportunities at startups?

During the conversation, we discussed finding recently funded startups that are actively hiring. Kyle Thomas regularly shares startup hiring opportunities on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-coffelt-thomas/