Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
In this episode of Work Conversations, Erika meets with Ariana Ferwerda, founder of Halfdays, to unpack how she built a women’s ski and outdoor apparel brand by solving a real, overlooked problem. Ariana shares why most product launches fail, how Halfdays found product market fit quickly, and what it took to raise capital and scale an inventory heavy business at 23. They talk about balancing fashion with technical performance, challenging exclusivity in outdoor culture, and designing gear that actually fits real women. A candid conversation about brand building, retail strategy, and creating products people genuinely need.
Timestamps:
00:00 Why Most Product Launches Fail
01:20 The Gap In Women’s Ski Wear
02:36 Launching Halfdays During COVID
04:16 Raising Capital At 23
05:49 Building A Brand And Team
07:56 The Product Market Fit Mistake
09:14 Breaking Exclusivity In Outdoor Culture
14:24 Inventory Risk And Scaling Lessons
Follow WORK here:
Substack: erikaayersbadan.substack.com
Instagram: instagram.com/workwitherika
TikTok: tiktok.com/@workwitherika
Follow Erika here:
Instagram: instagram.com/erika
TikTok: tiktok.com/@erika_
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erikanardini
Twitter: twitter.com/erika_
Follow Work Like A Girl here:
Instagram: instagram.com/worklikeagirl
Slack Channel: join.slack.com/t/worklikeagirl/shared_invite/zt-3a7fiqzf8-NEf3DUArSMz76vTspihC5w
In this episode of Work Conversations, Erika meets with Ariana Ferwerda, founder of Halfdays, to unpack how she built a women’s ski and outdoor apparel brand by solving a real, overlooked problem. Ariana shares why most product launches fail, how Halfdays found product market fit quickly, and what it took to raise capital and scale an inventory heavy business at 23. They talk about balancing fashion with technical performance, challenging exclusivity in outdoor culture, and designing gear that actually fits real women. A candid conversation about brand building, retail strategy, and creating products people genuinely need.
Timestamps:
00:00 Why Most Product Launches Fail
01:20 The Gap In Women’s Ski Wear
02:36 Launching Halfdays During COVID
04:16 Raising Capital At 23
05:49 Building A Brand And Team
07:56 The Product Market Fit Mistake
09:14 Breaking Exclusivity In Outdoor Culture
14:24 Inventory Risk And Scaling Lessons
Follow WORK here:
Substack: erikaayersbadan.substack.com
Instagram: instagram.com/workwitherika
TikTok: tiktok.com/@workwitherika
Follow Erika here:
Instagram: instagram.com/erika
TikTok: tiktok.com/@erika_
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erikanardini
Twitter: twitter.com/erika_
Follow Work Like A Girl here:
Instagram: instagram.com/worklikeagirl
Slack Channel: join.slack.com/t/worklikeagirl/shared_invite/zt-3a7fiqzf8-NEf3DUArSMz76vTspihC5w
