Ariana Ferwerda and Kiley McKinnon: Co-Founders of Halfdays

Second Life

Clique Media, Female Founder, Entrepreneurship, Career Change, Career Pivot, Fashion & Beauty, Hillary Kerr, Personal Journals, Who What Wear, Clique, Career, Arts, Business, Careers, Second Life, Career Advice, Self-made, Entrepreneur, Mydomaine, Society & Culture

4.7 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ariana Ferwerda and Kiley McKinnon are the co-founders of the women’s ski and activewear brand Halfdays. McKinnon is a former freestyle aerial skier who competed at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, and Ariana holds degrees in marketing and marketing research from Michigan State University. Despite their different professional backgrounds, when the two met in Denver in 2019, they commiserated over the lack of stylish, mid-range ski apparel options for women. They felt they could do better, and less than a year later, they launched Halfdays, a line of sleek women's skiwear made from nearly 100% recycled materials. Though it was originally a direct-to-consumer company, today, its products are sold in retailers like Nordstrom and Dick’s Sporting Goods. The brand has also expanded into hiking gear, athleisure, and more. Last year, it saw 86% year-on-year growth and triple-digit wholesale growth.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Cartier.
0:04.5	To me, there's something inherently intriguing about contrasts.
0:09.6	Playing with duality not only creates a visual language of rhythm and intensity,
0:15.1	but can also amplify whatever mood you want to dress for.
0:19.2	That same idea is what makes the clash-Dacier jewelry collection so unforgettable.
0:25.7	There's truly no wrong way to wear it.
0:29.4	Wear two rings in different sizes.
0:31.7	Pair the supple bracelets with one of the rigid styles.
0:34.7	Mixed metals.
0:35.3	Don't be too precious about what works together and lean in
0:39.4	to having fun with it. You'll find your own personal statement. To see more, shop the Clash
0:46.5	de Cartier Collection on Cartier.com. Hi, everyone. I'm Hilary Kerr, the co-founder and chief content officer of Who What Where, and this is Second Life, a podcast spotlighting women who have truly inspiring careers.
1:12.3	We're talking about their work journeys,
1:14.6	what they've learned from the process of setting aside their doubts or fears,
1:19.2	and what happens when they embark on their second life.
1:22.7	Today on the show, I'm chatting with the founders of the industry-disrupting skiware brand half days,
1:29.2	Ariana Ferwerda and Kylie McKinnon.
1:32.1	Kylie grew up skiing and eventually trained in freestyle aerial skiing, which, as I learned,
1:38.5	is the one where you flip upside down in the air and it seems like you're about to die.
1:42.7	Cool.
1:43.6	She competed in the 2018 Olympics,
1:46.0	which is an incredible accomplishment. But she did so in men's skiwear because it was the
	...

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