Props with Pop

In Part 2 of our deep dive into Ruthless River by Holly FitzGerald, we pick up with Holly and Gerald William FitzGerald drifting down the Madre de Dios River, still riding the high of survival and convinced the river is guiding them safely toward Riberalta, Bolivia.Before the chaos unfolds, we explore the river itself. The Madre de Dios, meaning Mother of God, was once called Amarumayo, the River of the Serpents, by Indigenous communities because of its twisting, unpredictable path. It stretches more than 700 miles through Peru and Bolivia and ultimately feeds into the greater Amazon basin. It is powerful, remote, and anything but forgiving.What begins in “Huck Finn mode,” inspired by Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, quickly unravels.In this episode, we cover:Being shot at by border guards when arriving at the Heath River checkpoint in the darkAn invasive search that leaves them shaken and without key suppliesBrutal heat that turns the Pink Palace into a floating ovenA violent nighttime storm that rips their shelter apart and fire antsGetting swept into a flooded dead end logjam with almost no food leftAbandoning the Pink Palace to paddle for survival on a tiny raftSpotting a plane overhead that never circles backBy February 23rd, they are five days stranded, starving, exhausted, and clinging to hope.Part 3 is where everything changes.Follow us on social:Instagram: PropswithPopFacebook: PropswithPopReddit: PropswithPopX: @TotalGDaddyMoveGmail: Propswithpop@gmail.com Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

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 jungleSurviving a terrifying plane crash landing in a remote clearingDiscovering that the crash site was actually a Peruvian penal colony surrounded by some of the country’s most dangerous inmatesRealizing they had missed the last commercial boat out of Puerto MaldonadoMaking the bold decision to build a handmade raft and float nearly 500 miles down the Madre de Dios RiverBy 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.Follow us on social:Instagram: PropswithPopFacebook: PropswithPopReddit: PropswithPopX: @TotalGDaddyMoveGmail: Propswithpop@gmail.com Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

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 GivesBenjamin Franklin and Avoiding ArgumentsThe Strength of Admitting You Are WrongAdmitting Mistakes QuicklyHelping People Feel Like the Idea Is TheirsLetting Others Feel OwnershipEncouragement Changes People More Than CriticismPraise Progress, Not PerfectionShowing Sympathy FirstGiving People a Fine ReputationThen Becs & Pops answer some write-in stories related to the book:Emily, 22 - College senior, part-time baristaJake, 27 - Sales coordinator, first corporate jobSarah, 19 - First year college studentRyan, 30 - New dad, project managerOlivia, 24 - Marketing assistant, hybrid work scheduleFollow us on social:Instagram: PropswithPopFacebook: PropswithPopReddit: PropswithPopX: @TotalGDaddyMoveGmail: Propswithpop@gmail.com Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

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 mattersWhy Criticism Rarely Changes PeopleTheodore Roosevelt’s Father and the Power of EncouragementThe Quiet Power of Feeling AppreciatedCharles Schwab and the Power of PraiseBeing Interested Instead of Trying to Be InterestingTheodore Roosevelt and Genuine InterestSmall Gestures That Make People Feel SeenThe Impact of a SmileFollow us on social:Instagram: PropswithPopFacebook: PropswithPopReddit: PropswithPopX: @TotalGDaddyMoveGmail: Propswithpop@gmail.com Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

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. Follow us on social:Instagram: PropswithPopFacebook: PropswithPopReddit: PropswithPopX: @TotalGDaddyMoveGmail: Propswithpop@gmail.com Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

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:Exercise, Healthy Eating, and Physical HealthFinancial GoalsMental Health & Well-BeingHow to Start a Punch Card at Home:Here’s a quick starter guide for someone curious:Step 1 — Pick a Specific HabitStep 2 — Make the CardStep 3 — Track ProgressStep 4 — Add RewardsOptional but motivating:Finish 30 workouts → new sneakers20 home-cooked meals → dinner outRewards help reinforce follow-throughIt’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. Follow us on social:Instagram: PropswithPopFacebook: PropswithPopReddit: PropswithPopX: @TotalGDaddyMoveGmail: Propswithpop@gmail.com Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.