Fear, Faith and the Forest
Fear, Faith, and the Forest: A Podcast of Hope for the Unemployed
If you're unemployed, you know the struggle. Hundreds of applications. Ghosting. Late-stage rejections. The 3 AM panic. The identity crisis. The endless negativity about how "the market is dead" and "AI is taking over."
Fear, Faith, and the Forest is a weekly podcast for people walking through unemployment—created by someone still in the trenches with you. Moving forward. Driven by faith.
About the Host
Rich Zapata is an unemployed software engineering leader with 12+ years of experience. After 7 years at a fintech company, his position was eliminated in January 2025. Nine months later, he's still searching—and he's not waiting until he "makes it" to share what he's learned.
This podcast isn't a victory lap. It's a real-time guide through the Forest.
Fear, Faith and the Forest
Latest Episodes
Episode 9: Reflection — Lessons Learned
A reflection episode marking the close of Phase 1. More than a year into unemployment, Rich looks back at the things he said in the first eight episodes and asks what's held up under pressure, and what's changed. Eight Parts, eight lessons. He ...
Episode 8: Handling Rejection — It's Not Personal, It's Process
Rejection is not a possibility in this job search, it's a certainty. In this final episode of Phase 1, Rich tackles one of the hardest parts of unemployment: handling rejection without letting it erode your confidence or derail your momentum.
Episode 7: Your Health — The Non-Negotiables
Unemployment is a full-time job, and like any demanding job, it will break down the vessel carrying you through it if you're not careful. In this episode, Rich breaks down the non-negotiables: the things you cannot skip, and the things nobody e...
Episode 6: Anxiety and The 3 AM Wake-Ups
Anxiety during unemployment is real, and it never goes away. It hits at 3 AM, but it also hits at 2:30 on a normal Tuesday afternoon, when the lull catches up to you. In this episode, I share a confession about dipping into my retirement fund, ...
Episode 5: The Family Conversation - Navigating This Together
Unemployment doesn't just affect you. It affects everyone in your household. Your spouse, your kids, everyone who depends on you. And they can't support you if they don't know what's happening.In this episode, I share how I told my...