Welcome To The Den!

Everything you need to know about At The Den, before you say yes or as you are preparing for the episode recording.

What is this about?

At The Den is a podcast for leaders inside professional services: creative agencies, design studios, digital boutiques, consultancies, innovation teams. It's hosted by Pauline Bertry and Alexey Lobachev, the founders of Polar Bear.

We made it because we spend our weeks inside organisations where smart, experienced people are carrying questions they have nowhere good to take. Honest, useful conversations that help people grow together — the ones that happen around the fire, over coffee, in a park — rarely make it anywhere permanent.

Each episode is a one-to-one conversation, 40 to 55 minutes. We publish on YouTube and some major podcast platforms.

Am I the right fit?

Our guests are leaders inside professional services: people who have built teams, made hard decisions, navigated change, and come out the other side with something worth sharing.

You're probably a good fit if:

• You've led a team inside an agency, studio, consultancy, or professional services firm, and it taught you things you can't find in a book.
• You're in the middle of figuring something out, not just looking back on success.
• You care about the people in your industry, not just the numbers.
• You're comfortable being honest on camera. We're not looking for polished. We're looking for real.

This is probably not for you if:

• You're looking for a platform to announce something or promote a product.
• You want full editorial control over the final episode.

What are we going to talk about?

We don't script episodes; instead we send a list of themes with potential questions in advance and we can shape the key topics together. The broad areas we tend to explore:

• Leadership in professional services
• People and growth
• AI and craft
• The industry from the inside
• Failure, reinvention, and the in-between

How is this going to go?

Before the recording, we book a 15-minute pre-call or talk over chat, and agree what's in scope. We record via video call: the session is scheduled for 75 minutes, and the conversation itself is typically 45 to 60 minutes. We record on our end, so you don't need to do anything technical.

After the recording we edit for flow and clarity — usually one to two weeks — and send you a private preview link before anything goes live. You can flag anything you'd like removed or adjusted. Once you're happy, we publish: YouTube first, then major podcast platforms within 24 hours.

What do I need for the recording?

You don't need anything fancy. A quiet room and a window is more than enough: light in front of you rather than behind, camera at eye level, earphones with a mic, and a stable connection.

How does the timeline look?

• You confirm, and we agree on the recording date.
• Optional 15-minute pre-call to talk through themes.
• Recording day: 75 minutes scheduled.
• Preview within two weeks.
• Published, with links and a social pack shared with you.

Total time commitment from you: roughly 3 hours across all of it.

At The Den — a show by Polar Bear.