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

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.

Upstream is sponsored by Brave: Head to https://brave.com/brave-ads/ and mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign.

---

RECOMMENDED PODCAST: History 102 with WhatifAltHist

Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical Greece, early America, the Vikings, medieval Islam, ancient China, the fall of the Roman Empire, and more.

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj

---

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.

--

SPONSOR: BEEHIIV | BRAVE

Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months.

Get first-party targeting with Brave's private ad platform: cookieless and future proof ad formats for all your business needs. Performance meets privacy. Head to https://brave.com/brave-ads/ and mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign.

--

LINKS

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

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

--

X / TWITTER:

@robkhenderson (Rob)

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@upstream__pod

@turpentinemedia

--

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

--

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 [email protected].

Producer: Sam Kaufman

Editor: Michelle Poreh

For guest or sponsorship inquiries please contact [email protected]

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.