Like many girls in the 90s, I was socialized to be pretty, nice, and secondary to men. Growing up, I was shy and accommodating—not exactly traits that suggested I had a future in entrepreneurship.

What I lacked in entrepreneurial qualities like tenacity and risk-taking, I made up for with hard work and persistence. My strong work ethic was instilled by my mother. An engineer who fled Iran after the fall of the Shah, my mother taught me her values determinationrecognizing opportunities and maintaining a positive mindset in the face of obstacles.

My problem-solving skills, empathy, and talent for bringing others together led me to take leadership roles in school projects and activities. Eventually, these qualities would help me launch a company worth over $100 million. It is one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States and the fourth fastest growing business in Central Texas.

Are you an aspiring business owner who doesn't fit the traditional mold? Don't let your lack of stereotypical leadership qualities keep you from being at the top of the table. Learn from my experiences and mistakes and check out my top tips for new unconventional entrepreneurs:

1. Eliminate unnecessary risks

Any entrepreneur worth his salt will tell you that starting a business requires taking risks. However, you can improve your chances of success by eliminating the unnecessary ones.

For my part, I decided to remove the variable that I find most frightening: the stagnation of funds. I spent 10 years skipping vacations and giving up fancy dinners until I saved up $150,000 to put toward building my company. Armed with capital, I felt more confident taking a leap of faith.

Related: How taking calculated risks can grow your business

2. Discover the unknown unknowns

In the early days of building my global company, I quickly discovered how mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Setting up an entity is complicated in your country, and even more so in a country where you are not proficient in the language or unfamiliar with the currency or culture. My limited understanding of the requirements for things like paid time off meant I didn't ask the right questions or budget accordingly. Because I was promoting my brand, this misstep cost me thousands out of pocket.

Painful as it was, my supervision taught me a powerful lesson: the importance of uncovering the “unknown unknowns” (a term made famous in 2002 by then US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld). The most dangerous mistakes are often completely unexpected, because you never know how to look for them.

To uncover your unknowns, seek advice from those with first-hand experience. Imagine a project that has failed and try to determine the possible causes. Question your assumptions and – above all – stay humble.

3. Identify a problem

My company was born after I spotted a rare opportunity to tackle a real-world problem. Drawing from my experience working with technology companies, I identified a critical talent gap and built a business that connected US companies with Latin American software developers.

Working to solve a personal problem that I had experienced firsthand was uniquely fulfilling and motivated me when times got tough. However, drawing from personal experience it's not the only way to find problems – you can also take customer feedback, conduct industry analysis and brainstorm with others to generate ideas.

Related: 3 tips from one black woman founder to another

4. Understand your audience

My years as a salesperson taught me to understand the needs of my audience. This laid the foundations for my guiding approach to business: solving real problems for real people.

As a founder, you set yourself up for success by gaining an intimate knowledge of your target customer base. Understanding your audience helps you learn their wants, demands and frustrations and determine how best to connect with and cater to them.

You must be able to sell your business or solution better than anyone. Remember – that's it YOUR baby — and you should know this even more intimately than your chief technology officer, product manager, head of sales, or any other expert you hire.

5. Get comfortable with rejection

Here's a true story: After graduating college at the height of the 2008 recession, I applied (literally) to hundreds of financial institutions without ever getting an interview. It took 19 months of wading through applications and rejections before I found a job.

Rejection is painful. How you answer this matters. Considering how 90% of startups failgoing back DISCLAIMER and failures allow you to move on to bigger and better endeavors. Every disappointment provides lessons and growth if you have the resilience, courage and humility to embrace it.

Related: How to use rejection as a tool for success

6. Believe in your idea

I started a company because I believed I could make an impact—on our customers, the American economy, and communities in Latin America. Deeply held vision it pushed me forward in times of uncertainty, loss and change. I had so much faith in my business that I let clients drop contracts almost immediately—after all, cancellations can be incredible gifts that reveal areas for growth.

As a startup founder, you have to face OBSTACLES every day. Having a strong belief in your product makes it easier.

Need help finding a business idea you believe in? Ask yourself: What communities matter to me and what problems am I passionate about solving?

7. Join

After starting my own solo company, I quickly realized that I needed a counterpart – someone with equal determination and skill who could fill in the gaps in my knowledge and experience. I teamed up with a colleague who complements my strengths, compensates for my weaknesses, and has my back.

American culture plays up independence, convincing many young entrepreneurs that they must go it alone. Don't fall into this trap. Especially if you are a first-time entrepreneur, it is essential to seek help from experienced people. Your co-founder, teammates, and mentors can help you with the basics of starting a business—from the logistics of starting a company to the marketing tactics you'll need to get your startup off the ground—and contribute fresh perspectives and unbiased advice.

8. Celebrate unconventional strengths

Leadership is often associated with stereotypically masculine qualities such as dominance, independence and self-confidence. However, in today's rapidly evolving business landscape, feminine qualities – such as empathy, good listening, emotional intelligence, inclusion and patience – are gaining recognition as a powerful force for driving innovation, collaboration and creativity.

It's not that one leadership style trumps the other—both are necessary for a well-rounded founder. Entrepreneurs who can combine traditional masculine and feminine traits will be better at solving problems, making decisions, empathizing with customers and employees, and identifying growth opportunities.