To become actors of their undergraduate studies and contribute to the life of their local communities: this is the opportunity given to the students of the Bachelor in Management (BSc) by the Collective Projects. A didactical activity, carried by a team of students over one academic year on a topic of their choice, designed to explore the real problems of a company or institution and consolidate the knowledge in the management field within a hands-on experience.
It takes a Team to create a podcast
Anya, Ella, Amélie, Maxim, Surya and Lena are a group of students who choose to embrace the challenge of the Collective Projects by creating something unique. In an effort to be creative and interactive, as well as responding to a rising trend in the podcast medium, the team decided to dive into the depths of podcast-making.
“The idea was born within just a few hours. Upon learning about the task of creating a project within the curriculum of the Bachelor’s programme, we quickly came together and decided that we wanted to pursue something that would contribute to student life,” Maxim tells us. With six creative minds, each bringing their individual skills to the table, the students tried to engage authentically with their professors, friends, and fellow students across all ESCP campuses.
In fact, the Name It podcast has been met with enthusiasm and interest since the very beginning. It managed to host a fascinating variety of people, ranging from business professors and student representatives to health fanatics and psychologists. “Even though the microphone and studio equipment can add a little bit of stage fright to the process, once people start talking, the walls break down and many incredible stories get on air,” adds Lena. “While some topics take a more serious note, many conclude with endless laughter or singing sessions.”
From brainstorming to weekly episodes
“What has worked best for us has been making a release schedule for at least two months in advance. Having a guideline and calendar to follow helps us with recordings, releases and recruiting guests,” says Anya.
In terms of preparation and execution, the close-knit team meets every week to record, check on progress and over anything and everything that comes up in the process. “Brainstorming ideas often leads to the generation of so many different topics that we have had to cut back and figure out what is most sought out. Being a podcast for ESCP students, our most important criteria is that it is student-friendly, fun to listen to, informative and short. Since we are actively part of our audience group, we just try to imagine what we would like to listen to on a Monday morning on our walk to school and from there the ideas flow naturally.”
Of course, throughout the recording sessions, the students have accumulated many inside jokes and anecdotes that they love to think back on occasionally, as Ella tells us. “If you have listened to any one of our podcasts, you will have noticed that Maxim and Surya have a special and funny connection about which the female majority of our group loves to joke. The episode that literally caused tears of laughter was Surya’s introduction on Name It Slang, in which he imitated (with perfection, one might add) an Indian accent.”
Truth be told, there is not a single recording session that goes over without a heavy load of laughter, taking the example of their recording session with the student reps that ended in a full-on jam session. “Besides the action inside the recording studio, we also loved the evolution of our brainstorming for the name of the podcast and its ability to be incorporated into everyday life,” Ella continues. “It’s not uncommon to rush past each other hectically in the hallway and say to each other ‘Name It Stress!’.”
All-round managerial collective projects
Looking beyond the funny side of the experience, Name It is also an all-round managerial project. “ESCP has given us the platform and opportunity to create the basis of the podcast, for which we are grateful,” points out Amélie. “Given the tools needed, such as making a GANTT chart, facilitating and bake sale, doing team-building activities and reporting back to authority in the form of minutes, the School have helped us tremendously with our organization. For the podcast to run smoothly, we have realized how important activities outside of the studio are that create a bond and chemistry within the group. The Name It experience will leave us with a great example of how to delegate tasks within a team, manage our time around our busy schedules and trust each member of the team.”
Name It is a project that has been set up in the context of the collective projects for the Bachelor in Management (BSc) programme, but its positive effects will have a much longer echo in the lives of the team members.
“While of course, this project requirement comes to a close at the end of year one of our programme, we will always think back on this experience as the main shaper of our first year at university. It has been wonderful to get positive feedback on Instagram, in the halls and in terms of listeners on Spotify, Soundcloud and Apple Podcasts. We hope to keep this up until the end of the year and consistently deliver content that our fellow students want to hear. Who knows, maybe our final year in Berlin, where we will all end up again after we split for the second year, will call for a Name It revival?” Surya concludes with a touch of nostalgia.
Collective Projects. The Name It Team:
Lena is 19 years old and is French-Australian, leaning more so towards Australian. She approaches just about any activity or conversation with enthusiasm and is passionate about meeting new people and trying new things. Being on a podcast was not something she had considered but it has turned out to be an enriching experience. The Name It Team has been incredible, not only as colleagues but also as friends and she could not think of a better project to have undertaken.
Anya is 18 years old and is from the US (but holds Austrian citizenship). She loves incorporating her love for all things art and music into the project as the design and marketing manager, and she is always down for an adventure with the team. The podcast opened her eyes to a new art form that had only previously crossed her mind a few times. She has loved meeting new people, hearing unique topics, and laughing for hours on end – and would not have wanted to do it with anyone else!
Ella is 21 years old and even though has roots in Germany, she has lived in several different places around the world. She is a very social, positive, and organized leader that makes her a perfect fit for the production manager role of the Name It team. Her technology skills bring the whole project together with the transformation of multi-hour recording sessions into 10-minute episodes. Her experience as part of the team has allowed her to expand not only her knowledge on various topics but also her appreciation of the podcast process.
Amélie is 19 years old and is French-German from Berlin. She is a creative and inspirational mind that contributes to the podcast with her deliberate research and calm aura in the recording room. The Name It podcast was a new and eye-opening experience for her, being able to meet new people and talking about interesting topics with passionate experts is something she really enjoyed. The podcast team has her to thank for the facts and figures it gets to share with fellow students every week.
Maxim is 20 years old and is from Belgium (but actually German). From Design to Music to Aviation, Maxim interested in any fields and enjoys exploring new things. With his enthusiasm and optimism, he enjoys interacting with people in a joyful and humorous manner. Being part of a podcast was unexpected for him but most rewarding. Meeting new friends, listening to various stories and topics as well as scripting podcasts was an eye-opening experience, which taught him many new skills. The experience of this podcast was especially interesting because the Name It Team was able to create informative content in an entertaining and playful environment.
Surya is 18 years old, of Indian origin and born and brought up in Luxembourg. He is a very outgoing and social individual who is always up for a party. Being the host of a podcast was never something he thought he would do. Yet, he is grateful for the opportunity given to be a part of the incredible Name It team. On the podcast, he thoroughly enjoys talking to people and listening to different perspectives on any topic.
Collective Projects 2019/2020
