In this episode, we’re diving into the unbelievable true survival story told in Ruthless River by Holly FitzGerald, a book I truly could not put down. It is an exciting, heart pounding, and deeply inspiring account of how a dream honeymoon turned into a fight for survival in the Amazon jungle.

Holly and her husband, Gerald William FitzGerald, known as Fitz, set out to travel the world on a modest budget. They never imagined that their trip of a lifetime could have been their last.

Before we get into the chaos of the jungle, we are unpacking the backstory of Holly and Fitz. From a chance meeting at a Halloween party in Boston in 1969 to marrying just five months later, their love story is bold from the very beginning.

They saved carefully from their modest jobs, Holly as a counselor and teacher and Fitz as a journalist, in order to fund a yearlong honeymoon traveling the globe. What started as an ambitious backpacking journey through South America slowly transformed into something far more dangerous.

In Part 1, we cover the major turning points that shifted their honeymoon into survival mode:

• Fighting through a desperate crowd to secure seats on a small plane leaving the Peruvian jungle
• Surviving a terrifying plane crash landing in a remote clearing
• Discovering that the crash site was actually a Peruvian penal colony surrounded by some of the country’s most dangerous inmates
• Realizing they had missed the last commercial boat out of Puerto Maldonado
• Making the bold decision to build a handmade raft and float nearly 500 miles down the Madre de Dios River

By the end of this episode, Holly and Fitz are launching their bright pink tarp covered raft, “The Pink Palace,” into a rising and unpredictable river, convinced it will carry them safely to Bolivia. What they do not yet understand is that the river has other plans.

Part 2 covers their first five days on the river. Part 3 dives into the unimaginable ordeal that followed and the rescue that brought them home.

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Welcome back to Props with Pop where we are currently on part 2 of discussing the famous book, How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. In part 1, we discussed the many genuine ways in which we can win friends, and in this episode, we are going to discuss the ways in which we can genuinely influence people, with respect and trust.

In this second part, we discuss the following themes & examples:

• Why Winning an Argument Often Costs More Than It Gives
• Benjamin Franklin and Avoiding Arguments
• The Strength of Admitting You Are Wrong
• Admitting Mistakes Quickly
• Helping People Feel Like the Idea Is Theirs
• Letting Others Feel Ownership
• Encouragement Changes People More Than Criticism
• Praise Progress, Not Perfection
• Showing Sympathy First
• Giving People a Fine Reputation

Then Becs & Pops answer some write-in stories related to the book:

1. Emily, 22 - College senior, part-time barista
2. Jake, 27 - Sales coordinator, first corporate job
3. Sarah, 19 - First year college student
4. Ryan, 30 - New dad, project manager
5. Olivia, 24 - Marketing assistant, hybrid work schedule

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Happy to announce this is our 50th episode! What an accomplishment, half way to 100, it’s been lovely to record with my pops. Wanted to start 50 with a bang by discussing one of my favorite books, How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

In this first part, we discussed the following topics to help you create long lasting friendships:

• Why simple kindness still matters
• Why Criticism Rarely Changes People
• Theodore Roosevelt’s Father and the Power of Encouragement
• The Quiet Power of Feeling Appreciated
• Charles Schwab and the Power of Praise
• Being Interested Instead of Trying to Be Interesting
• Theodore Roosevelt and Genuine Interest
• Small Gestures That Make People Feel Seen
• The Impact of a Smile

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Welcome back to Props with Pop! Wanted to piggyback off of our first episode of 2026 with new year resolutions write-ins. Thank you everyone who submitted, we appreciate it! Here are the topics discussed today:

• Amelia, 27: My New Year goal is pretty basic: I want to move my body consistently and stop falling off after a few weeks…
• Lucas, 32: This year my goal is to get better with money, saving more and being more intentional instead of just hoping it works out…
• Jordan, 24: My resolution this year is to eat healthier and feel better day to day, but I get overwhelmed really fast…
• Kelsey, 36: This year I decided my main goal is taking better care of my mental health…
• Marcus, 39: I’m 39 and this year I want to make time for personal growth again reading more and finally learning guitar like I’ve always said I would…
• Similarity of goals

It’s an interesting conversation and we are curious if anyone has resonated with this before, we encourage you to write to us at PropswithPop@gmail.com.

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• Gmail: Propswithpop@gmail.com

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Welcome back to Props with Pop and welcome to 2026! We are officially in season three of the show, which is wild considering we launched back in January of 2024. Becs and Pops kick things off by recapping what 2025 brought them, including a new house and a new marriage, two pretty exciting milestones. From there, they talk about what people are actually striving for in 2026 and wrap things up with a simple and tangible way to put those goals into action by creating punch cards.

What other people are striving for:

1. Exercise, Healthy Eating, and Physical Health
2. Financial Goals
3. Mental Health & Well-Being

How to Start a Punch Card at Home:

Here’s a quick starter guide for someone curious:

• Step 1 — Pick a Specific Habit
• Step 2 — Make the Card
• Step 3 — Track Progress
• Step 4 — Add Rewards

Optional but motivating:

• Finish 30 workouts → new sneakers
• 20 home-cooked meals → dinner out
• Rewards help reinforce follow-through

It’s an interesting conversation and we are curious if anyone has resonated with this before, we encourage you to write to us at PropswithPop@gmail.com.

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Welcome back to Props with Pop! Sorry it’s been a minute, the holiday season is here already. We wanted to share this episode Pops and I recorded a few weeks back, it’s all about Public Perception & The Media. We cover topics such as how much is too much when it comes to warning the general public about threats, specifically natural disasters?

Additionally, we cover:

• Stats behind Hurricane Helene by The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Hurricane Center
• The sad reality that including more negative words in media news headlines increases the digital engagement
• The definition of Media Fatigue - is what happens when people get so much information, especially repetitive or emotionally heavy news—they mentally check out or avoid it entirely i.e. Hurricane Katina fatigue
• The fine line between reporting accurately and ensuring as much safety to the public as possible

It’s an interesting conversation and I’m curious if anyone has resonated with this before, we encourage you to write to us at PropswithPop@gmail.com.

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• Gmail: Propswithpop@gmail.com

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Welcome back to Props with Pop! Thanks for tuning in this week, we are discussing bestie baggage. We talk about all kinds of stories, ranging from bridesmaid drama to being excluded in the group chat. Pops sheds some helpful guidance and light on all of the stories shared. Thanks to you for writing these in. We really appreciate helping out when we can.

Here are the stories shared:

1. Olivia, 29F - demoted from being the maid of honor to now a bridesmaid.
2. Alex, 24M - experiencing being excluded from the group chat where his friends are planning events and brunch outings without a direct invite to him.
3. Maya, 22F - her best friend continues to bail on plans and she is debating continuing the relationship with her.
4. James, 31M - experiencing burn out from his other friend who continues to call him daily complaining about his own romantic relationship.

If you are experiencing anything like this, please email propswithpop@gmail.com and we will be happy to share our advice.

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• Gmail: Propswithpop@gmail.com

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This episode holds a special place in Pop’s heart. We discuss the great things the older generation can teach us; and the many ways in which the younger generation could benefit from their knowledge and advice.

Here are the topics we discussed:

• Patience - The one thing we younger folks need to work on
• Benefits - It’s mutually beneficial to learn from the different generations
• Smart vs. Wise - What makes you one which
• Be Particular - What it means and how it can help you
• The Golden Rule

If you are experiencing anything like this, please email propswithpop@gmail.com and we will be happy to share our advice.

Follow us on social:

• Instagram: PropswithPop
• Facebook: PropswithPop
• Reddit: PropswithPop
• X: @TotalGDaddyMove
• Gmail: Propswithpop@gmail.com

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Ft Music by Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World

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