E47: Rob Henderson on Life in Foster Care, Academia, and Beyond

"Upstream" with Erik Torenberg

This week on Upstream, Erik is joined by Rob Henderson, psychologist and author of the newly released Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class. They discuss dating, cancel culture, luxury beliefs, and more.

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We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: https://eriktorenberg.com.

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LINKS

Buy Rob's book: https://www.amazon.com/Troubled-Memoir-Foster-Family-Social/dp/1982168536

Rob's Newsletter: https://www.robkhenderson.com/

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X / TWITTER:

@robkhenderson (Rob)

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@upstream__pod

@turpentinemedia

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(01:03) Rob Henderson's unlikely journey from foster care to academia

(04:00) The importance of childhood stability

(07:48) Upward mobility is not the ultimate goal

(11:43) Sponsor | Brave

(12:46) How to improve discussions around family and class

(18:47) Understanding luxury beliefs

(25:06) Why do dumb ideas capture smart people?

(31:15) The impact of dating apps on relationships

(38:01) How technology will affect relationships and gender dynamics

(58:07) The future of higher education

(01:10:03) How to improve foster care

(01:12:50) Rob's time in the military

(01:18:57) Rob's future goals

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This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at [e-mail].

Producer: Sam Kaufman

Editor: Michelle Poreh

For guest or sponsorship inquiries please contact [e-mail]