San Luis Obispo, California, United States
Most leadership advice tells you what to do. Almost none of it explains why you don't do it. That gap is my life's work. You can think of me as the Small Steps Doctor. I am a TEDx speaker, leadership strategist, and professor who helps leaders build clarity, confidence, and momentum when change demands more of them. I translate peer-reviewed research into small, repeatable practices that create real progress, the kind that lasts because it doesn't depend on willpower or starting over. The leap gets the headline. The steps build the life. That idea is the heart of petite practice®, the framework behind my TEDx talk, How Small Steps Create Big Change. Built on behavioral economics and 20+ years of teaching, it answers one question with surprisingly large consequences: what makes change actually stick? What sets my work apart is that I have lived on both sides of the gap I teach: • Peer-reviewed research and the live stage • Behavioral economics and everyday behavior change • Two decades in the classroom and on the conference stage I am a Fulbright Scholar with an award-winning Ph.D. in Health Economics and a Professor of Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Cal Poly. I have taught and advised more than 10,000 professionals and students, published 33 academic articles including in the Journal of Health Economics, and been featured in Business Insider. I host the Happy Healthy Hustle podcast, ranked in the Top 1% globally with 700+ five-star reviews, and I have spoken across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, and France. I keynote for conferences, leadership teams, and organizations that want to: → move through change without stalling halfway → turn good intentions into consistent follow-through → build confidence and presence that lasts under pressure My signature keynotes: Small Steps, Big Momentum; Own the Room; and The Quiet Authority. My book, petite practice®: Small, Steady Steps to a Life of Momentum and Real Change, releases August 16, 2026. To bring me to your stage: doctorchristiane.com/speak
Focus: leadership communication, decision-making, innovation, entrepreneurship
http://cie.calpoly.edu/
Teaching group fitness keeps me grounded in the same principle I teach leaders: small, consistent practices create lasting change. Certified Instructor in: Barre Connect Les Mills Body Pump Schwinn Indoor Cycling TRX Suspension training
Dr. Christiane Schroeter is a TEDx speaker, leadership strategist, and bestselling author who helps professionals build clarity and confidence during times of change. She created Petite Practice®, a practical framework built on small, repeatable steps that improve follow-through and turn ideas into consistent progress. Christiane hosts the Happy Healthy Hustle podcast, ranked in the Top 1% globally, where she shares evidence-informed insights on leadership, confidence, and sustainable success. She holds a Ph.D. in Health Economics and brings more than 20 years of experience in marketing, innovation, and higher education. Alongside her work as a professor, she supports professionals and organizations seeking leadership clarity that lasts. Through her speaking, writing, and advisory work, Christiane focuses on practical tools that help people move forward with greater clarity, confidence, and momentum.
Courses taught: Advanced Agricultural Marketing, Advanced Econometrics, Agricultural Marketing, Applied Agricultural Statistics, Commodity Futures Markets, Seminar in Professional Presentations