What if the secret to growing your business wasn't working harder — but working smaller?

In this episode of Growth Strategy, Alyssa sits down with Dr. Christiane Schroeter, TEDx speaker, university professor, bestselling author, and host of the globally Top 1% ranked podcast Happy Healthy Hustle. Dr. Christiane is the creator of the Petite Practice™ framework — a proven growth strategy built on small, intentional actions that create lasting results without burnout.

She moved from Germany to the U.S. on a Fulbright Scholarship, built a thriving academic career, launched two bestselling books, and has guided over 2,500 entrepreneurs to reach their goals — all through the power of consistent, small steps.

This conversation is for every entrepreneur, founder, and female business owner who has ever felt like they need to do more, be more, or hustle harder to get ahead. Spoiler: you don't.

What We Cover in This Episode

• The Petite Practice™ Method: Why small, consistent actions beat big, overwhelming goals every single time

• Growth strategy for entrepreneurs: How to build momentum without losing your mind or your margins

• Burnout and sustainable business growth: What Dr. Christiane learned after watching too many high achievers crash

• Confidence vs. clarity: Which one you actually need to work on first as a business owner

• Marketing strategy for female entrepreneurs: How Dr. Christiane built a Top 1% podcast and bestselling books through intentional, petite steps

• The mindset shift that changes everything: Why progress matters more than perfection — always

• Personal branding and visibility: How to go from invisible to invincible without burning yourself out

• What high achievers get wrong: The painful pattern she sees in entrepreneurs who are doing everything right but still feel stuck

Key Takeaways for Entrepreneurs & Business Owners

• Small steps done consistently will always outperform big bursts of effort that aren't sustainable

• You don't need a perfect plan to start — you need a petite practice and the discipline to repeat it

• Burnout is not a badge of honor. Sustainable growth is the real growth strategy

• Confidence is built through action, not preparation — start before you feel ready

• Your marketing strategy doesn't need to be complex. It needs to be consistent

• Community and accountability are growth tools, not nice-to-haves

About Dr. Christiane Schroeter

Dr. Christiane Schroeter is a TEDx speaker, business and wellness coach, professor, and bestselling author. She holds a PhD in Health Economics and has spent over 20 years teaching marketing, innovation, and entrepreneurship. She is the creator of the Petite Practice™ framework and the host of the globally Top 1% ranked podcast Happy Healthy Hustle. She has guided over 2,500 entrepreneurs to achieve their goals through small, strategic action — and she does it all without the hustle culture that burns most people out.

Connect with Dr. Christiane

• Website: doctorchristiane.com

• Podcast: Happy Healthy Hustle — available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify

• Instagram: @doctor.christiane

• Books: How to Master Your Goals | Discover Your Superpower | Step into Your Voice

• Superpower Quiz: quiz.tryinteract.com/#/680acbb35fb6f0001547ba20

Connect with Alyssa & Growth Strategy

• Website: growyourstrategy.co

• Podcast & Show Notes: growyourstrategy.co/podcast

• Private Group Coaching: Book your 90-Day Strategy Session at growyourstrategy.co

• Substack Community: Join us at Grow Your Strategy on Substack

Social Media: @growyourstrategy

This week I'm sharing a solo episode on one of the most misunderstood concepts in business and life — patience. Not the "sit back and wait" kind, but the active, strategic, showing-up-every-single-day kind that actually builds something real.

Because here's the truth: patience isn't a personality trait you either have or you don't. It's a skill. And most of us were never taught how to do it right.

What We Cover:

• Why patience is a skill, not a virtue — and how to actually develop it
• What "active patience" looks like in your business, your parenting, and your personal growth
• Why consistency compounds and why results are always lagging behind the work
• How to stop waiting for the perfect moment and start building anyway
• Using your time strategically while you trust the process
• Why showing up every day is the same thing as choosing not to quit

Key Takeaways:

→ Real growth takes time — and that's not a problem, it's the process

→ Active patience means working strategically while you wait for results to catch up

→ Consistency is the most underrated business strategy

→ You don't need the perfect moment. You need the decision to start.

→ Every day you show up, you are proving something to yourself

If you've been feeling frustrated that things aren't moving fast enough, or you've been waiting for a sign to keep going — this episode is your sign.

Resources: Full show notes and links: growyourstrategy.co Join the Growth Strategy Community: growyourstrategy.co — monthly strategy calls, interactive conversations, and peer support for founders and creators building something meaningful.

This week I sat down with Dr. Robin Buckley — clinical psychologist, executive coach, and Amazon bestselling author of Marriage Inc. — to talk about why most couples are winging their relationships and what to do instead.

Dr. Robin shares how applying business strategies to your relationship can transform how you communicate, resolve conflict, and build something lasting. We discuss the role your brain plays in emotional responses, why a simple "safe word" can change how you fight, and how creating relationship SOPs might just save your partnership.

What We Cover:

• How to apply business principles to your relationship
• The role your brain plays in emotional responses and communication
• Why a "safe word" can transform how you handle conflict
• How to create SOPs and structure for your relationship logistics
• What it means to build a relationship plan — and why most couples never do
• Proactive vs reactive relationship strategies: which actually works

Key Takeaways:

→ Treat your relationship like a business that needs structure and strategy → Your brain's emotional responses can be managed with the right tools → A "safe word" stops fights from escalating and creates space for real communication → Most couples react to problems instead of preventing them — flip that script → Relationship SOPs eliminate recurring conflicts over logistics

If you're ready to stop reacting and start building something intentional with your partner, this conversation will give you the framework to make it happen.

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Robin Buckley: drrobinbuckley.com | Instagram: @drrobinbuckley Get Marriage Inc. on Amazon

Full show notes and links: growyourstrategy.co/podcast Join the Growth Strategy Community: growyourstrategy.co — monthly strategy calls, interactive conversations, and peer support for people building meaningful projects and improving their lives.

This week I sat down with Kira Hartley, who published her first book at age 55 after decades of wanting to be an author. We discuss the real challenges of pursuing creative dreams later in life, overcoming self-doubt, and finding the courage to finally start.

What We Cover:

• How to start writing when you've been putting it off for years
• Self-publishing vs traditional publishing: choosing the right path for first-time authors
• Writing as self-care and creative fulfillment for busy adults
• Overcoming rejection and jealousy when others succeed first
• Finding time to write with a full schedule and financial constraints
• Why persistence matters more than natural talent in publishing
• Turning financial struggle into creative fuel instead of letting it stop you
• Writing what you know: using your life experience as content

Key Takeaways for Aspiring Authors: → It's never too late to publish your first book → Self-publishing offers creative control when traditional publishing isn't working → Writing can be self-care, not just another obligation → Your unique life experience is valuable content → Persistence beats talent in the long run

If you've been sitting on a book idea, creative project, or personal goal for years thinking "maybe one day," this conversation will inspire you to start. Kira Hartley proves that when there's a will, there's a way.

Resources: Full show notes and links: growyourstrategy.co Join the Growth Strategy Community: growyourstrategy.co — monthly strategy calls, interactive conversations, and peer support for people building meaningful projects and improving their lives.

What Growth Strategy Really Means (Hint: It's Not About Hustling Harder)

Steve Jobs said marketing is about values and he was right. In this week's episode, I break down what growth strategy actually means and why it has nothing to do with chasing every trend or burning yourself out.

We're talking about the power of being intentional with your yes's and no's, because when you're not choosing, you're still choosing. I share why authentic growth comes from being so unapologetically you that the right people can't help but notice, and how clarity on your values makes growth feel aligned instead of exhausting.

Plus, I'm diving into what's working on social media right now (spoiler: carousel posts are crushing it with 70% better performance), and introducing you to GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) the new SEO for the AI era. Keywords are making a comeback, but you need to know how to use them strategically for AI search and ChatGPT visibility.

In this episode:

• Why growth strategy is about values, not tactics
• The mindset shift that changes everything about priorities
• Social media trends you need to know (carousels, video content, and more)
• GEO vs. SEO: How to optimize for AI visibility
• Announcement: New weekly live sessions for real-time growth strategy talk

Subscribe at growyourstrategy.co for weekly live sessions, and follow @growyourstrategy on Instagram and TikTok. Let's grow together.

In 2014, Amazon spent years and millions of dollars building a hiring AI to streamline recruitment. By 2017, they killed the entire project. Why? It systematically discriminated against women.

This is the story of how one of the world's most sophisticated tech companies with unlimited resources, world-class machine learning engineers, and genuine commitment to fairness, still shipped biased AI because they lacked systematic frameworks for AI risk management.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What happened with Amazon's hiring AI and why it failed
• How AI learns bias from historical data (even when teams have good intentions)
• Why 85% of companies ship AI without systematic testing (Stanford HAI AI Index Report 2024)
• The gap between academic AI ethics frameworks and what practitioners actually need
• Introduction to the NIST AI Risk Management Framework (NIST AI RMF)
• Why healthcare has ethics boards, academia has IRBs, but tech has... nothing systematic
• What it takes to build AI governance for small teams (not just Fortune 500s)

Read the blog: drivegrowthpartners.co Download free templates: growyourstrategy.co #AIEthics #AIGovernance #ResponsibleAI #AIRiskManagement #NISTAIFramework #AlgorithmicFairness #MachineLearningBias #AIPolicy #TechEthics #AICompliance #ArtificialIntelligenceEthics #AITesting #FairnessTesting #BiasInAI #EthicalAI #AIRegulation #TechPolicy #SaaSFounders #ProductManagement #AIForBusiness #AIStrategy #TechLeadership #WomenInTech #AIAccountability #DigitalEthics #USTechForce #AIGovernanceFramework #MLEthics #DataEthics #AIBias

SEO isn't dead—but the way you've been doing it is.

43% of Google searches now show AI-generated answers at the top, which means traditional "rank #1" strategies are becoming obsolete. The new game? Becoming the source AI trusts and cites—not just the link people click.

In this episode, I break down:

🔹 What Agentic AI actually is (and why most people are still confused about it) 🔹 Why topic authority beats keyword optimization in 2025 🔹 How I'm getting demo requests from AI recommendations (not Google rankings) 🔹 The one thing AI can't replicate: YOUR lived experience and unique perspective 🔹 Why citing sources and showing credentials matters more than ever 🔹 The type of content AI wants to cite (and what gets ignored)

Real talk: I've been testing what works with Agentic AI across multiple brands, and the data is clear—original insights and personal stories drive actual leads. Generic content? AI can generate that. Your experience? That's your competitive advantage.

If you're still optimizing for Google like it's 2019, this episode will shift your entire content strategy.

Let's build something good. 💎

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TOPICS: SEO 2025, Agentic AI, AI Marketing, Content Strategy, Google Search, AI-Generated Content, Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Marketing Strategy

#SEO2025 #AgenticAI #ContentStrategy #AIMarketing #DigitalMarketing

This episode dives deep into the power of creativity - the driving force behind innovation and problem-solving.

Explore the challenges of balancing creativity with measurable outcomes and how a more open-minded approach can unlock fresh perspectives.

Learn ways to boost your own creativity, how to apply it into your professional life, and finding what works for you!

This episode is a little different ...

I share my experience as a work-from-home mom, from the initial challenges of navigating a newborn and work to the ongoing struggle for balance.

The episode concludes with the message that there will be messy moments, but to find humor in the chaos and embrace the joy of motherhood and ambition.

Grit and confidence are built in the trenches.

In this episode, I explore the importance of perseverance in the face of obstacles and some of the key lessons I have learned from the different brands I have managed, including:

1. Having great business ideas doesn't automatically translate to being great at strategy.
2. Sticking with an idea long enough to see if it will fail or succeed.
3. Setting realistic deadlines
4. Being clear about your scope of work
5. Learning to communicate in various ways