# The Simple Check-In That Could Save a Life | Rob Thorsen on Loneliness, Loss & Shoulder Check Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/mitlin-money-mindset-1317779/the-simple-check-in-that-could-save-a-life-rob-thorsen-on-loneliness-loss-shoulder-check Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/mitlin-money-mindset-1317779/the-simple-check-in-that-could-save-a-life-rob-thorsen-on-loneliness-loss-shoulder-check.md Podcast: [Mitlin Money Mindset](https://stenobird.com/podcast/mitlin-money-mindset-1317779) Published: 2026-05-06T07:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://mitlinmoneymindset.libsyn.com/the-simple-check-in-that-could-save-a-life-rob-thorsen-on-loneliness-loss-shoulder-check Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/mitlinmoneymindset/MMM_E288_Final.mp3?dest-id=2366330 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/mitlin-money-mindset-1317779/episodes/the-simple-check-in-that-could-save-a-life-rob-thorsen-on-loneliness-loss-shoulder-check Duration seconds: 2706 ## Resource One hand on a shoulder. It sounds almost too simple, but it's the kind of gesture that can change everything for the person on the other end. Rob Thorsen founded The #HT40 Foundation and its first initiative, Shoulder Check, in memory of his son Hayden. At a time when more and more people are experiencing loneliness and isolation, they're working to combat the crisis through grassroots community outreach nationwide. In this episode, you'll learn about Hayden and the legacy he left behind, how Rob turned his grief into a mission anyone can join, and the small ways we can help break the stigma around mental health. Topics discussed: Introduction (00:00) Hayden and Rob Thorsen's story (01:14) Turning grief into a mission (03:52) Hayden's impact: the #HT40 Foundation and Shoulder Check (08:06) The Shoulder Check Showcase (11:32) "Lean on Me" video (17:33) How a simple gesture makes a big impact (23:27) The loneliness epidemic and where to turn (26:31) Real stories of impact (29:01) Conversations that break the stigma (31:06) Lessons on navigating grief (35:40) What brought you JOY today? (40:02) Resources: Sending your child to college will always be emotional but are you financially ready? Take the College Readiness Quiz for Parents : https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/college-readiness-quiz/ Doing your taxes might not be enJOYable but being more organized can make the process less painful. Get Your Gathering Your Tax Documents Checklist : https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mitlin_ChecklistForGatheringYourTaxDocuments_Form_062424_v2.pdf Will you be able to enJOY the Retirement you envision? Take the Retirement Ready Quiz: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/retirement-planning-quiz/ Connect with Larry Sprung: LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrenc… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/mitlin-money-mindset-1317779/episodes/the-simple-check-in-that-could-save-a-life-rob-thorsen-on-loneliness-loss-shoulder-check/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/mitlin-money-mindset-1317779/the-simple-check-in-that-could-save-a-life-rob-thorsen-on-loneliness-loss-shoulder-check.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.