Fear, Faith and the Forest
Claim This Podcastby Rich Zapata
Podcast Overview
<p><b>Fear, Faith, and the Forest: A Podcast of Hope for the Unemployed</b></p><p>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."</p><p>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.</p><p><b>About the Host</b></p><p>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.</p><p>This podcast isn't a victory lap. It's a real-time guide through the Forest.</p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
3/5/2026
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Recent Episodes
June 10, 2026
Episode 10: Welcome to The Long Walk
This episode opens Phase 2 of Fear, Faith, and the Forest, called The Long Walk. It's for the people who didn't get out in the first 90 days, who've reached an equilibrium they know is conditional, who are still walking through the forest of long-term unemployment. Rich names what the job search actually feels like at this point, the zombie ritual of applying into the void, and what's worth doing about it. He talks about two summers compared, the household that's still alive even when the tri...
May 8, 2026
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 talks about gratitude for the contract work that's sustaining him, the interview he bombed and what it taught him about preparation, the difference between stumbling on the path and leaving it, and how the To-Do list has become the discipline that holds...
April 29, 2026
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. He brings back the online dating parallel, introduces the baseball analogy, and shares a lesson from Roger Federer's Dartmouth commencement address that reframes failure entirely. The takeaway is simple but not easy: read it and close it. Step back in th...
10 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Fear, Faith and the Forest?
<p><b>Fear, Faith, and the Forest: A Podcast of Hope for the Unemployed</b></p><p>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."</p><p>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.</p><p><b>About the Host</b></p><p>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.</p><p>This podcast isn't a victory lap. It's a real-time guide through the Forest.</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.
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