Meet Anthony Maboko, a father of five, entrepreneur, and co-founder of LoveTheMabokos, who is redefining what it means to provide, lead, and build a legacy for his family. After navigating unexpected career setbacks, financial uncertainty, and the challenges of entrepreneurship, Anthony chose to bet on himself and create a new path alongside his family. In this Dear Fathers conversation, he opens up about fatherhood, mental health, generational wealth, overcoming obstacles, and the importance of being present while building a future his children can be proud of.
Choosing Family Over Comfort: You’re a father of five, with children ranging from a newborn to 10 years old. What went through your mind when you decided to navigate an unexpected career transition and bet on yourself and your family rather than take a more traditional route?
My journey has definitely been a roller coaster. I started in corporate America, worked my way up through five promotions, made 6 figures and eventually took a leap of faith to pursue entrepreneurship by opening my own restaurant.
Unfortunately, the restaurant closed, and that same year I went through six different jobs trying to find my footing again. After experiencing entrepreneurship, going back to working for someone else just didn’t feel the same.
Eventually, I found a company where I gave it my all, rebuilt my career…. Then, unexpectedly, I was laid off.
With five kids depending on me, I could’ve immediately looked for another corporate job. But my family and I had spent the past six months building LoveTheMabokos, reaching millions of people and securing brand partnerships.
Getting laid off wasn’t my choice, but what I decided to do next was.
I decided to bet on myself again, this time building something with my family that I genuinely believe in.
I’m not starting over from scratch. I’m starting over with experience.
Redefining Fatherhood: How has becoming a father of five changed your understanding of what it means to be a provider? Has your definition of providing evolved beyond financial stability?
Having five kids has completely changed how I define being a provider.
Growing up, I thought providing meant making enough money to give your family a comfortable life. And don’t get me wrong, financial stability is extremely important, especially with seven people under one roof.
But I’ve learned that my kids don’t care about my job title or salary. They care that Dad is there. They want my time, attention, and love.
I still want to give them everything financially, but I never want to be so focused on making a living that I forget to actually live with them.
The Pressure of Leadership: As a father leading a household of seven while building something from the ground up, how do you manage the pressure of being the person everyone depends on, especially when you don’t have all the answers?
-The pressure is real. When you have five kids depending on you, every decision feels bigger because it doesn’t just affect you.
I’ve learned that I don’t need to have every answer. I need to keep showing up, communicating with my partner, and figuring things out one day at a time.
Some days I’m extremely confident about our future. Other days I’m questioning every decision I’ve made.
But I remind myself that my family doesn’t need a perfect father. They need one who refuses to give up on them.
Sacrifice Behind the Scenes: You’re documenting the journey in real time, including the wins and setbacks. What has been the most difficult sacrifice you’ve had to make that people watching your journey might not see?
The biggest sacrifice has definitely been financial security.
Going from a predictable six-figure income to building a business where nothing is guaranteed is a huge adjustment, especially with five kids.
People see the views, followers, brand partnerships, and family experiences. What they don’t see is the uncertainty of not knowing exactly when the next payment or opportunity will come.
But I’ve learned that growth doesn’t always come with comfort. Right now, I’m sacrificing predictability for the opportunity to build something that could change our family’s future.
Fatherhood and Entrepreneurship: How do you balance being present and emotionally available for your children while dedicating the time and energy required to build a business?
One of the best things about LoveTheMabokos is that our kids genuinely enjoy being part of what we’re building.
We’ve had opportunities to collaborate with some amazing brands and visit places where we can bring all five kids. They love the experiences, and we’re creating memories together while building our business.
We also let our kids choose when they want to participate. I never want them to feel like spending time with us means they have to be on camera.
For me, that’s the goal: building a business that allows us to spend more time together, not less.
Breaking Generational Cycles: What are some lessons from your own upbringing that have influenced the way you lead your household, raise your children, and approach fatherhood differently?
I grew up with two immigrant parents. My father is from Burundi, Africa, and my mother is from Manila, Philippines. Watching their sacrifices taught me the value of hard work at an early age.
My parents divorced when I was 12, and I stayed with my mom. As a single mother, she worked two jobs to provide for me. By 13, I had my first job ringing bells for the Salvation Army during the holidays.
Those experiences shaped the father I am today. They taught me resilience, responsibility, and the importance of showing up for your family.
Today, both of my parents have moved from New York to the Carolinas and are helping us raise our five children. Having three generations together means a lot to me.
I want my kids to inherit that same work ethic, but I also want them to understand that success isn’t just about working hard. It’s about being present, creating opportunities, and building a life where family always comes first.
Mental Health and Vulnerability: When you’re navigating uncertainty, financial pressure, and the responsibility of raising five children, where do you find the space to process your own emotions? Do you feel fathers are given enough room to struggle without feeling like they’ve failed?
-I think a lot of fathers carry pressure silently because we’re so used to being the ones everyone depends on.
For me, it’s a mixture of things. Sometimes I talk things through with my partner or family. Other times I need the gym, some time alone, or just an opportunity to clear my head.
I’m also learning that I don’t have to keep everything bottled up.
I think fathers deserve more room to admit they’re struggling without feeling like they’re failing. Being strong doesn’t mean you never feel pressure. Sometimes strength is simply admitting you need support.
Building Generational Wealth: When you talk about changing the trajectory of future generations, what does generational wealth mean to you beyond money, assets, and business ownership?
When I talk about generational wealth, I’m not just talking about leaving my kids money or property.
I’m talking about leaving them knowledge, opportunities, confidence, and a different mindset.
I want my children to understand that they can create something of their own. I want them to learn from my successes, but especially my mistakes, so they don’t have to start from zero.
If I can give my five kids opportunities and knowledge that help them go further than I did, that’s generational wealth to me.
The Reality of the Journey: Since you’re sharing the journey publicly, how do you navigate the pressure to appear successful while being transparent about the challenges, setbacks, and moments when things aren’t going according to plan?
Social media makes it easy to believe everyone has everything figured out.
People see the followers growing, millions of views, brand deals, and amazing family experiences. But what they don’t always see are the unanswered emails, rejected opportunities, inbound & outbound DM’s, financial uncertainty, and tons and tons and tons of hours spent trying to make everything work.
That’s why I want to document the wins AND the losses.
I don’t want to wait until I’ve made it to share my journey. I want people to see what building something from the ground up actually looks like.
I’m not trying to convince anyone I’m successful. I’m showing people what it looks like to try.
The Legacy of a Father: When your five children look back on this chapter of your life 20 years from now, what do you hope they remember about how their father handled uncertainty, took risks, and showed up for his family?
Twenty years from now, I don’t need my kids to remember how many followers we had, how much money I made, or which brands we worked with.
I want them to remember that their dad was present, that I love their mom, and that I showed up for all of them, even when life didn’t go according to plan.
I want them to remember the experiences we shared, the memories we created, and that I was never afraid to start over to build a better future for our family.
And if one day they’re faced with a difficult decision, I hope they look back at this chapter and think, “If Dad could take a chance on himself with five kids depending on him, I can take a chance on myself too.”
That’s the legacy I want to leave. All glory to God.
