This is sponsored content. M&F is not endorsing the websites or products listed in this article.
If you’ve been to a bodybuilding show or expo in the past few years, you’ve likely seen athletes and fans carrying the WOLFpak on their shoulders. These unique backpacks with patches that can be placed for personalization have been a big hit and are rapidly growing in popularity. In the eyes of founder Michael Henderson, they are not objects to be transported, they are a form of expression and unity between a large group of people with like-minded goals. Those who carry his product with pride don’t even call it a “bag bag.” It’s something different in their eyes – a WOLFpak.
“When they call the product by the product’s name, it’s worth a lot more, and I like seeing that because it gives me a sense of reward.”
Just as each person who carries a WOLFpak has their own story, the name has its own story. Henderson once considered himself a lone wolf. The 26-year-old husband started his company over the past few years, but the WOLFpak mentality he lives by came when he and his wife were in a position to take on responsibility they hadn’t planned on taking on. .
“At 21, I had to adopt my sister. She was four years old at the time, and she was going through the same path that I was going through when I was younger, and I saw the result. I didn’t want him to see the result.
Although they were of college age, adopting his sister put both Henderson and his wife on the fast track to adulthood. He credits this as a seminal moment in his character development. Henderson credits this time with his growth both personally and in business. He was quite successful in the auto industry when that mindset was tested again in January 2019 when he got a call from a doctor.
“The doctor called me and said he was going to give me some news. He said, ‘We don’t have hard evidence, but it’s very likely you have cancer,'” Henderson said. “When the news hits you, it rocks your world.”
Michael Henderson was diagnosed with stage III testicular cancer. This type of cancer was rare for a 45-year-old man, who was then. However, he looks back with regret at ignoring the signs that could have caused him to spot problems sooner. He shared some signs that he hopes others will consider in the future so they don’t find themselves in a similar position.
“I had back pain, and as soon as I would get out of the car I would have lower back pain. That’s your lymph nodes that are swollen and trying to tell you that something is wrong.”
The cancer had reached her lymph nodes and spread to her chest. Henderson said his cancer was similar to what Lance Armstrong faced. It was the unknown that came with it that initially became his biggest worry.
“There was only one phase after that, and it’s not a good result. My family and my children were the first thing that came to mind about it, and that stayed with me all these weeks and months.
Leaving my wife of 25 years, not seeing my daughters grow into women, and my newborn son becoming a better version of me was my biggest fear and my biggest challenge.
Treatment began immediately, but he was faced with a decision. Does he share his news with those around him, or keep it to himself?
“As a private person, I chose not to tell anyone outside my inner family,” he said. They included his wife, two daughters and their son. He also told a best friend, who came with him. Henderson will continue to work in his full-time career while undergoing chemotherapy treatment. These treatments took five hours a day, and he had to undergo them five days a week. It gave a glimpse of how intense the treatments were that bodybuilding and fitness competitors could consider.
Imagine the last two days of preparation when you have no energy, you can’t think, you feel sick. Now, imagine feeling this way for 12 weeks. It’s like the last days of preparation combined with covid.
Michael Henderson can make this comparison as he also tested positive for Covid at one point. As for treatment, he would go to the hospital at 6:30 a.m. for that day’s treatment, leave by 1 p.m., drive two hours to work in Los Angeles, California traffic, then He has to drive two more vehicles. Hours to go home. Rinse and repeat, going outside day after day for about a year. When asked about the body changes, she credits the Resolution Diet. He rationalized the loss of his hair, which was already short, to shaving his head, and when his eyebrows fell off, his daughters and wife painted them in their place.
When he wasn’t working and driving, and going through chemo, he would sit in a hot tub in the evenings and tell himself, “This is just a moment, it’s not forever.” is), on the couch he would get as much sleep as he could, and get by. By the next morning. There was no motivation to pursue therapy and daily responsibilities, just self-discipline on a daily basis. Wake. At the end, he slept until Monday morning when it was time to start over. He followed this approach because he didn’t want to gain sympathy from those around him. Will focus on developing internally and rely on that inner lone wolf mentality to figure out what’s next and grow each day.
“I was in a high-profile position with an automotive group that had ten locations. I hate to say it this way, but I realized that if I had shared it, some of my opportunities wouldn’t have been presented to me.
“The Lone Wolf” maintained his character both at work and at home as he fought his own battle for a year against an enemy that had taken many before him. As he was coming down the path home, he woke up one morning with a sore, red, and swollen neck. It was caused by a blood clot in his throat.
“The chemo caused a blood clot. There was nothing that could be done for fear of it moving to a place where they couldn’t get it. So, it’s still there today.”
Michael Henderson also explained that he would sometimes wake up dizzy, spinning, eventually, he would emerge victorious, and now he is cancer free. Even during this struggle, he gained something from it that serves him to this day.
“It was a great wake-up call to reset my thinking in life. Most people think they’re having a bad day. They don’t have a bad day. I just got over all the drama and negativity. Redemption.”
People who knew and supported Henderson throughout the process formed an inner circle that she credits with helping her stay strong. The amount of time he spent with them, and it was then that he realized that he hadn’t done everything he wanted to do with his life, and that he had to change that immediately and effectively. Determined?
“I didn’t know what it meant or what it looked like right now. I just knew I didn’t like that answer.
Henderson was very successful in his role with the automotive business, and he had been in the field for 25 years, but he felt there was more to him, and what he was doing in the field, he made a living. But could not make his identity. . While he was going through this physical battle against cancer, he was working on what it would look like to make his mark in his mind. All he knew was that he wanted to leave something for his family to continue the legacy. Therefore, he chose to create a brand.
Henderson used his four hours plus driving time and any spare time to learn how businesses like Amazon succeeded, and how brands were able to thrive, making it an educational time for the future entrepreneur. . He was also trying to do something different so that he could stand out. While he was training at the gym, he spotted a basic black duffle bag, and soon after things started to fall into place. He had his own ideas on how he could improve the bag. He wanted to add pockets for books or a laptop, other pockets for tools, and even a compartment for food. Now he needed a name. A wolf mentality, his “pure” to get past the disease and his inner circle. Thus, WOLFpak was created.
Henderson felt a connection to the fitness and bodybuilding audience because he went to the Arnold Classic every year. He knew this way of life, and he embraced it. The people of this community came together, and had common interests. They also supported each other, as did Henderson’s family, or his father. This would become his target audience because many people in the fitness community have faced challenges themselves. The next step was determining how he could stand out from the rest of the pack with his product.
“My daughters had these hydroflasks, and they put stickers on them,” she shared. “I asked them why they did it because it bothered me. My daughter said that’s what they do, it’s how they make it theirs and how they express themselves.
That was the answer Henderson needed. But, how do you do that with a backpack? He put Velcro on the front and started making patches that could be added so that everyone could express themselves in their own way with their WOLFpak.
The results speak for themselves as WOLFpak’s are sported by many fitness enthusiasts as well as some of the biggest stars in bodybuilding, such as 2020 Olympia 212 winner Sean Clarida. You’ll likely see more of them on full display at the 2022 Olympia Expo the weekend of December 15-18 in Las Vegas, NV. Henderson and WOLFpak will be there to meet and show support to all members of the pack who are aligned with their beliefs and mission.
This success is helping him establish a legacy that can be passed on to future generations. Not only do his daughters work in the company, but so does his younger sister. Now her mission is to inspire as many people as possible as they remember the fear and pain that came with her battle with cancer. He hopes to help others create their own success stories.
“There are players who touch people they’ve never met through social media, and they can bring people out of the darkness. I hope and believe that this story will be the same. I think my story is the same. It’s my duty to share, especially if it can help someone else. I hope they do what I did for me. Trust your instincts. Make your mark.”
Following @wolfpak.official on Instagram.
This is sponsored content. M&F is not endorsing the websites or products listed in this article.
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