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Michael Pattengale

By: Dezaray Barr

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Michael Pattengale
Michael Pattengale graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2015 with a degree in general business studies.

When asked what his time at IWU was like, Pattengale said, “Like a movie. My time at IWU was incredible. I made a ton of friends, started a company with one of my best friends, dropped out to tour with a band from Nashville- came back and probably played too much pickup basketball. I think back on my days as an IWU student often, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Pattengale is the youngest of four boys, who all attended IWU. He grew up in Marion, but planned on attending another school to play soccer. “My junior and senior years of high school, I befriended some IWU Freshman in a band called Mosquito Fleet,” Pattengale explained. “They took me in, and I immediately fell in love with the culture that IWU had to offer. I figured I would give it one semester; one year– tops. Well, we all know how that goes. I never left IWU.”

Pattengale recently left corporate sales to join Springbuk as a Business Development manager, an Indianapolis-based software company. “Our Health Analytic software helps employers forecast future medical claims, reduce their insurance costs and improve the health of their employees,” Pattengale explained.

“I was constantly challenged at IWU, both in and out of the classroom. My professors always demanded excellence from me,” Pattengale said. “I remember back to one of my marketing classes with Phil Millage – each student had to choose one of three books to read and present on. Not me; Dr. Millage pulled myself and another classmate aside and challenged us to read all three books. Not for extra credit, but because he knew that we would learn from it, that we needed it; he was right. By my Junior year, I no longer had professors, instead I had mentors. These individuals would meet me before a 7:50 class for coffee or stay on campus until 10 p.m. on a weeknight if that meant that they could pour into my life.”

During Pattengale’s time at IWU, he had the opportunity to lead chapel at IWU. “Leading worship in chapel were some of the closest, most chilling and intimate moments I had at IWU. I spent two summers on the traveling worship teams for the school, leading middle school & high school students in worship. These summers challenged me and stretched me beyond what I thought was possible,” he said.

Pattengale’s work is now based on four pillars: hope, trust, excellence, and love. “In sales, your patience is tried every single day,” he said. “You are pushed to your limit time and time again. Whether I’m celebrating a successful quarter or debriefing a less-than ideal cold call outcome, I’m constantly reminded of the lessons learned at the various summer camps as an IWU traveling worship team member.”

If Pattengale could encourage IWU students, he’d say, “Ask your professor to coffee. Read all of your textbooks (it makes studying way easier). When you meet someone that you think is important, ask what books they recommend. Read those, and follow up with that person. Most importantly, be bold – don’t be afraid to stand out.”

 

 

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Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a junior Strategic Communication and Honors Humanities double major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. At IWU, Dezaray runs both the JWHC Blog and her own blog. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.

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Two North: Dream Big, Dream Bold

Jason Pattengale beat Crohn’s Disease to become a varsity cheerleader at IWU, but he probably never expected to become a clothing model for his youngest brother’s company.

Mike Pattengale has been an entrepreneur for as long as he can remember, selling air band concert tickets door-to-door at age nine and mowing yards by the time he was twelve. His most recent venture started not from a desire to make money, but a desire to save it. During his sophomore year at IWU, Mike went on what he later described as “an unsuccessful shopping trip” to buy tank tops for spring break. He soon realized tank tops cost an average of $30. “That really rubbed me the wrong way,” Mike says. “So I decided to make my own.”

Mike’s older brother, Jason Pattengale, models a Two North tank top while hiking near his Alaskan residence.
Mike’s older brother, Jason Pattengale, models a Two North tank top while hiking near his Alaskan residence.

Mike knew he needed help to design a tank top and turned to Matt Rush (’14). The two had heard of each other through high school sports in Grant County and through mutual friends. Both men later enrolled at IWU, where they became close friends during their sophomore year.

When Mike showed Matt his design, Matt got on board. “We knew we could make tank tops with more appealing designs than the ones widely available in stores and that we could sell them for half the price the stores charge – all while making a profit,” says Matt. He and Mike hashed out ideas for the company over the next several months, settling on an official design and a name.

“We chose Two North Apparel as our company name because we wanted to encourage adventure, challenge complacency, and create boldness – all the things I experienced in my time living on Hodson 2 North,” Mike explains.

Although Matt later switched to a Marketing major and Economics minor, he had a two-year background as a graphic design student. He helped convert Mike’s sketch of a tank top design into a vector image. They ordered thirty tanks with the design on them. “Aside from Mike posting one picture on Instagram … the only promotion was word of mouth,” Matt says, “We sold out of that first order in under a week.” Two North soon developed a small following, its number of customers increasing with each order.

A friend of the two entrepreneurs, IWU alum Santiago Jaramillo (’12), helped them take Two North to the next level. On Jaramillo’s advice, Mike and Matt incorporated Two North Apparel in August 2012, building a company website and creating social media accounts.

The company’s goal is to provide high-quality coastal apparel with unique design. Two North does so under the tagline “Welcome to the Midwest Coast.” Eventually, Mike hopes to expand the Indiana-based business to an actual coast. “I would love to be [somewhere like] California,” he says. Another change he would like to see for Two North is the transition from a solely web-based business to owning his own store front.

Mike Pattengale sports a Two North tee.
Mike Pattengale sports a Two North tee.

Besides bringing class and style back into the clothing industry, Two North is a company geared at helping others. “We want to encourage our customers and those around them to step out of their comfort zone, to quit playing the ‘what if’ game and start playing the ‘one-time-I-decided-to’ game,” Mike says. He believes tank tops are perfect for encouraging people to be bold, feel comfortable, and recognize their own beauty.

Part of the way Two North promotes this brand is by using customer photos. Matt explains, “We encourage all customers to post pictures of them wearing their Two North gear. So in a sense, we try to use all our customers as models.”

Mike’s oldest brother, Jason, is one of those customers. “[He] is my best friend,” Mike says. “He is also the manliest man I know. I want to encourage adventure and boldness, and he is a perfect example of that … just look at his beard!”

Besides Jason’s encouragement, Mike has also been positively influenced by relationships he formed with friends and professors at IWU. “I always [had] ideas of how to turn a profit. My time at IWU just helped me focus that,” Mike explains.

Similarly, Matt credits his involvement with Two North to Mike, Jaramillo, and IWU professor Phil Millage. He says, “The connections I made [at IWU] helped grow my interest in and love for business and entrepreneurship, while sharpening my knowledge and skills.”

Matt also refers to Two North as “the most valuable entrepreneurial experience I’ve had,” experience he is now taking with him to his new job. Early in 2015, Matt sold his share of Two North in order to focus on God’s next call in his life. He now works at Jaramillo’s company, an app creator called Bluebridge. He remains friends with Mike, and the two continue to talk about Two North business together.

Co-founder Matt Rush models a Two North T-shirt.
Co-founder Matt Rush models a Two North T-shirt.

As for Mike, the 2015 alum plans to continue operating Two North under its current bold, innovative brand. True to the company’s character, Mike’s advice to fellow 2015 alumni is both frank and encouraging:

“Don’t expect anything to be handed to you. Earn everything … and if you have a dream, go for it! Life isn’t about money. Dream bigger than you think is possible.”

 
Written by Megan Emily. Megan is a 2015 IWU alumna and operates Earthworms, a blog about finding hope and security.