When Mike Lombardo and his business partner launched their gut-healthy iced tea brand, Halfday, they didn’t expect to become advocates for paid leave — much less that they would one day pay strangers to take time off.
The brand’s name was originally meant to just be a fun play on words about taking time to relax and have a drink with friends. However, as Halfday gained popularity, Lombardo and his team realized that a lot of the consumers coming across their page assumed the company was a leave management platform. Instead of changing the name or publicly separating themselves from the idea, they leaned into it.
