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 3: Assess - Taking Stock Without Panic
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You've survived the first week. Now what? Before you can plan your next move, you need to know where you actually stand. In this episode, Rich walks through how to assess three critical areas of your situation — your financial runway, your skills inventory, and your support network — without spiraling into panic. This isn't about catastrophizing. It's about getting clarity, because clarity is power. You can't plan until you know where you stand. And once you do? That's your foundation.
Thank you for listening!