CEBU CITY, Philippines –There’s no doubt that the life of a business owner is very challenging. There are a lot of responsibilities that you have to shoulder, a lot of employees to lead, and a lot of unprecedented changes in a business venture.
However, for entrepreneurs who are parents, the challenges that they face get more difficult as they juggle parenthood and their professional lives.
In celebration of Father’s Day, Anthony Leuterio, Founder of Filipino Homes, shares his experience of being a father not only to his family and children but also to his employees.
Time management is key
As Anthony Leuterio describes it, the life of being a father and an entrepreneur is not easy. It requires boundless energy, motivation, and organizational skills to stay productive both at home and at work.
Leuterio admits that while it’s easy for him to fall into the routine in his duties as an entrepreneur, he always makes sure that he doesn’t compromise the time that he spends with his family.
“As a father, you really have to give time for your family, after all, life is just not about making money. It’s about enjoying the holistic approach – being happy with your wife, kids, and society,” he said.
Real estate professionals attending Filipino Homes Building Your Real Estate Career in 2021 training | Contributed Photo
As a leading real estate company, Filipino Homes has now employed thousands of brokers and real estate agents from 55 cities nationwide. Considering the number of people that he works with, Leuterio admits that his job can sometimes be overwhelming. That’s why for him, time management is important to maintain his work-life balance.
“Finding work-life balance is no easy task. But just to keep my work on track, I make sure to manage my time well, plan out my days and always put God and family first,” he said.
Provide needed support
A lot of stress and pressure comes with work. For that reason, Leuterio shares that to counter these challenges, it is essential to be a disciplined leader who cares and supports his employees in working towards success.
He added that just as how he disciplines his four children at home, is also how he disciplines his employees as he sees them as part of his family.
Filipino Homes team attending the Realtors Expo in San Francisco, California | Contributed Photo
“I have taken the role of the father in our house and the father in my business. I see my employees as part of my family and I genuinely want to educate, and support them with their ambitions and to take care and love them just like my kids,” he said.
He says that bringing fatherly love to the business is what helped Filipino Homes be successful as it is now.
“I have been giving my employees all the support that they need from me. In return they are just as supportive, hardworking, and wholeheartedly happy in developing the company with me,” he said.
Family gives meaning to work
Most people would think that to have a successful company, an entrepreneur needs to be young and single. After all, building a company is not an easy feat and requires one to devote all his/her time to business and sacrifice their personal life for work. Much of this may be true but for Leuterio, but it’s his connection to family that gave him the ability to thrive as a successful businessman.
His motivation rooted in his love for family, and service for the ones he cares about is what helped him build his entrepreneurial ambitions in providing homes to others.
Anthony Leuterio and his family | Contributed Photo
His ambition in providing a better future for his own family has been reflected in his business and has made significant contributions to the community.
“It was the addition of my family to my life and the role of being a father to my kids that made me a better businessman,” he said.
It is a hard time to be an entrepreneur and a parent at the same time. But by fully embracing both roles, like in the case of Anthony Leuterio, one can build a better foundation for better entrepreneurship. /rcg