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
Episode 2: Survive the First 72 Hours
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The first 72 hours after a layoff can make or break how you navigate everything that comes after. In this episode, Rich shares what he did in those first critical days, and what he wishes he'd done differently. From telling his sons the news on the way to baseball practice, to learning why anxiety is countered by productivity, to drawing an unexpected parallel between job searching and online dating, this episode gives you a practical framework for stabilizing yourself before you start strategizing. Four action steps to help you survive the first 72 hours, and build from there.
Thank you for listening!