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Fear, Faith and the Forest

Fear, Faith and the Forest

De : Rich Zapata
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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.

© 2026 Fear, Faith and the Forest
Christianisme Ministère et évangélisme Spiritualité
Épisodes
  • Episode 7: Your Health — The Non-Negotiables
    Apr 16 2026

    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 else is going to do for you.

    He frames it around two concepts, your mind and your body, and walks through five areas you have to protect: sleep and the science behind why it matters more than you think, mental health habits, positive mindset, spiritual grounding, and nutrition and exercise. He also shares the sticky habit trick that helped him lose 25 pounds since January 2025. No crash diet, no gimmick, just basic physics.

    If you've been neglecting yourself while chasing the next opportunity, this episode is your reminder: you can't pour from an empty cup.

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    Thank you for listening!

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    22 min
  • Episode 6: Anxiety and The 3 AM Wake-Ups
    Apr 8 2026

    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, explain the "eye of the storm" moments when panic sets in, and introduce the flat spin recovery; an aviation analogy for pulling yourself out of a mental spiral. I also share how a part-time contract came through a 14-year friendship, and why I believe you are the one who gets you out of this; not a book, not a podcast, not someone else's words. Today's verse is Psalm 94:19: "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy." You can't eliminate the anxiety. But you can answer it with facts, starve it with productivity, and outlast it with the knowledge that you are the one who gets you out.

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    Thank you for listening!

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    22 min
  • Episode 5: The Family Conversation - Navigating This Together
    Apr 1 2026

    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 two sons about my layoff, why I chose the car ride to baseball practice for that conversation, and how I've handled monthly check-ins as the journey has stretched to 10 months. I talk about age-appropriate honesty, full transparency with my 16-year-old, and a "need to know" approach with my 6-year-old. I cover protecting routines, making smart cuts instead of panic cuts, and why humor has been oxygen for our family 😊

    For those with spouses, I share thoughts on telling them immediately, adopting a team mentality, and helping them help you.

    Today's verse is Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up."

    Your family is your team. Let them be part of it.

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    Thank you for listening!

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    25 min
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