Mike Manalac says he struggled to prioritize his career without sacrificing family life.Courtesy of Mike ManalacMike Manalac is an account manager who struggled to balance his ambitious career with family life.He chose a work-life balance over salary but his goal of starting a family was still out of reach.Manalac relocated from the Bay Area to Chicago for lower living costs and finally started a family.As Mike Manalac entered his 30s, all he wanted was to have an exciting career and start a family — but he had no idea how difficult it would be to achieve both.He's a Chicago-based accounting manager at Google, a husband, and a father of a three-year-old.