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Like many girls in the ’90s, I used to be socialized to be pretty, nice, and secondary to men. Growing up, I used to be shy and submissive—not exactly traits that suggested I had a future in entrepreneurship.
What I lacked in entrepreneurial traits, reminiscent of assertiveness and risk-taking, I made up for in exertions and perseverance. My strong work ethic was instilled in me by my mother. An engineer who fled Iran after the fall of the Shah, she taught me the value of determination, recognizing opportunities, and maintaining a positive attitude in the face of setbacks.
My talent for problem solving, empathy, and talent for mobilizing others led me to take on leadership roles in school projects and activities. Ultimately, these traits helped me start business valued at over $100 million. It is one of the fastest-growing private corporations in the United States and the fourth fastest-growing company in Central Texas.
Are you an aspiring business owner who doesn’t fit the mold? Don’t let a lack of stereotypical leadership qualities keep you from taking your seat at the table. Learn from my experiences and mistakes and try my essential suggestions for unconventional aspiring entrepreneurs:
1. Eliminate unnecessary risk
Any self-respecting entrepreneur will inform you that starting a business requires taking risks. But you possibly can increase your probabilities of success by eliminating unnecessary risks.
For my part, I made a decision to eliminate the variable that I discovered most terrifying: lack of funds. For 10 years, I skipped vacations and forgone fancy dinners until I had $150,000 saved that I could put toward growing my business. Armed with capital, I felt more confident in taking a leap of religion.
2. Discover the unknown unknown
When I first began my global business, I quickly discovered that mistakes can be our biggest teachers. Starting an entity is hard in your personal country, and even harder in a country where you don’t speak the language, currency, or culture. My limited understanding of necessities for things like paid day off meant I didn’t ask the right questions or budget properly. As I used to be building my brand myself, this error cost me 1000’s out of pocket.
As painful because it was, my oversight taught me something vital: the importance of discovering the “unknown unknowns” (a term that became famous in 2002 by then-U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.) The most dangerous mistakes are often completely unexpected because you never know where to look for them.
To reveal your unknowns, seek advice from those that have first-hand experience. Imagine a project that failed and try to discover possible causes. Question your assumptions and — above all — remain humble.
3. Identify the problem
My company was founded after I saw a rare opportunity to solve a real problem. Using my experience working with technology corporations, I identified a critical talent gap and built a company connecting American corporations with Latin American developers.
Working to solve a personal problem that I had personally experienced was incredibly rewarding and motivating for me when times got tough. But drawing from personal experience isn’t the only way to find problems—you too can conduct customer reviews, conduct industry evaluation, and brainstorm with others to generate ideas.
4. Understand your audience
My years as a salesperson taught me to understand the needs of my audience. This laid the foundation for my guiding approach to business: solving real problems for real people.
As a founder, you set yourself up for success by gaining intimate knowledge of your goal customer base. Understanding your audience helps you learn about their desires, demands, and frustrations, and determine how to best connect with them and meet their needs.
You should be able to sell your small business or solution higher than anyone else. Remember – this is your honey — and you need to know them even higher than your CTO, product manager, sales manager, or any other expert you hire.
5. Get comfortable with rejection
Here’s a true story: After graduating from college at the height of the 2008 recession, I applied to (literally) a whole lot of monetary institutions without ever getting an interview. It took me 19 months of wallowing in applications and rejections before I got a job.
Rejection hurts. How you respond matters. Considering how 90% of startups failpicking yourself up from rejection and setbacks allows you to move forward to greater, higher endeavors. Every disappointment brings lessons and growth if you have the resilience, courage, and humility to accept them.
6. Believe in your idea
I founded the company because I believed I could make an impact—on our customers, the U.S. economy, and communities across Latin America. My deeply held vision propelled me forward through times of uncertainty, loss, and change. I had so much confidence in my business that I allowed clients to cancel contracts almost immediately—after all, cancellations can be incredible gifts that reveal areas of growth.
As a startup founder, you have to deal with setbacks every day. Having a strong belief in your product makes it easier.
Need help finding a business idea you think in? Ask yourself: What communities are vital to me and what problems am I passionate about solving?
7. Team up
After starting my very own business, I quickly realized I needed a match—someone with the same drive and skill set who could fill the gaps in my knowledge and experience. I teamed up with a colleague who complemented my strengths, compensated for my weaknesses, and had my back.
American culture glorifies independence, convincing many young entrepreneurs that they have to go it alone. Don’t fall into this trap. Especially if you’re a first-time entrepreneur, looking for help from those with experience is essential. Your cofounder, teammates, and mentors can provide help to with the ins and outs of starting a business—from the logistics of starting a business to the marketing tactics you’ll need to get your startup off the ground—and provide fresh perspectives and unbiased advice.
8. Celebrate unconventional strengths
Leadership is often associated with stereotypically masculine traits reminiscent of dominance, independence, and assertiveness. However, in today’s rapidly changing business landscape, feminine traits—reminiscent of empathy, good listening, emotional intelligence, inclusiveness, and patience—are gaining recognition as powerful drivers of innovation, collaboration, and creativity.
It’s not that one leadership style is superior to the other—each are needed in a well-rounded founder. Entrepreneurs who can mix traditionally masculine and feminine traits will be higher at solving problems, making decisions, empathizing with customers and employees, and identifying opportunities for growth.