Fear, Faith and the Forest
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. It's created by someone still in the trenches with you. Moving forward. Driven by faith.
Recent Episodes
10
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...
9
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 hi
8
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 the
7
April 16, 2026
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 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 gro
6
April 8, 2026
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, 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
5
April 1, 2026
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 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 ...