At the age of 17 the beginning of Monica‘s career in creating beautiful images was underway. Her first job was at JCPenney portrait studio as an enthusiastic teenager who wanted to learn and grow. She shares, “Photography and videography are such artistic and ever advancing crafts. I absolutely love the feeling of a client who is happy with any photo or video work I create. It is such a joy to get to know amazing people while doing something so fulfilling.”
Monica is happily married to Jeff Kirkland and they have 5 amazing kids, Cassidy, Smith, Braden, Wade, & Channing.
Throughout her early career Monica quickly moved up the ranks in retail management and learned how to run a business in a corporate environment including sales, customer service, advancing to branch manager, marketing, and recruiting. In 2007 she launched out into entrepreneurship starting New Life Ultrasound from divine idea to grand opening in a fast 3 months. She added photography to that business in 2009 enjoying photographing newborns, kids, and families. After 7 years she sold that business to a past ultrasound student who has successfully grown to 4 locations, trademarked the name, and has a mobile division. Monica purchased her friend and mentor’s real estate photography business in 2015 and rebranded to New Life Photography & Design. Voluntarily Monica has done work for many organizations and nonprofits like Reality Rally, American Heart Association, Women’s Council of Realtors, & Professional Women’s Roundtable and has served on the Board of Directors for the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce and PWR. She and her business have been nominated for several awards in the community including being awarded as a Forty Under 40 recipient for the Murrieta Chamber. She is also a supporter of New Life Culinary Creations & The Corporate Room which her husband, Jeff co-owns.
Monica says, “As each step in my career has taken me from one phase of God’s plan for my life to the next with answered prayers and lots of hard work, I truly love what I do! I am extremely grateful to those who have entrusted me in any type of photography and video work over all these years and am excited to continue to flourish in creating imagery for lasting impressions.”
