Antoinette Leona Harper shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Antoinette Leona, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me starts around 8 AM. I get up, get myself together, and head to the clinic. I jump straight into seeing patients. Every day is different, which I love. I never really know what I’m walking into, whether it’s a surgery, a smaller procedure, or a simple acne consult. It honestly doesn’t feel like a job because I really love what I do, so coming in each day is something I actually look forward to.
I try to eat a healthy lunch, and after work I head straight to the gym. Once I’m home, I shower, clean up as much as I can, and make dinner — I’ve been trying to be more intentional about keeping it healthy. After I eat, I do my skincare, brush my teeth, and wind down by watching one of my comfort shows, usually Grey’s Anatomy. I try to be asleep before 10 PM so I can wake up feeling refreshed and alert.
On days that aren’t so routine, you can catch me exploring new food spots or fun activities around Atlanta, traveling, or stopping by to spend time with my family. Those little moments keep me balanced.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Leona—most people online know me as gottalovelulu or Lulu. It’s funny because really only my family and close friends call me Antoinette. I live somewhere in the middle of it all, what I like to call the ~ duality ~ .
By day, I am a 26-year-old Doctor of Nursing Practice who specializes in dermatology, where I see patients, perform surgeries and procedures, and help people feel confident in their skin. But by night, I am an influencer, vlogger, video games specialist, producer, and model as hobbies when I’m not super busy at the office.
My brand as an influencer is gottalovelulu, and my professional account for work is LulutheDoctor. My story is how early I am in my career while also juggling influencing, modeling, traveling, family, and everything in between. Right now, I’m working on merging both sides of my world into a more cohesive lifestyle and wellness brand—something that reflects my gym routine, skincare, travel adventures, family moments, modeling, and my life as a young provider in dermatology.
I’m also developing my own skincare line and collaborating with some amazing skincare brands for partnerships and promotions. I love creating and connecting, whether it’s in the clinic or online, and I hope my journey inspires others to embrace every side of who they are.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory of feeling powerful was when I left for college and had to navigate life on my own for the first time. I was supporting myself through scholarships and working as an RA to help pay for school, and it was in those moments that I realized I was building something bigger than myself. I was making decisions that would shape my future, decisions that would eventually snowball into the career I have now.
I felt powerful because I was choosing to break generational curses. I was choosing discipline, education, and a different path—one that would allow me to take care of the people around me. And doing all of this during Covid-19 made it even more meaningful. In a time when so many people felt lonely or stuck, I used that stillness to grow. While the world was at a halt, I poured into myself, my goals, and the vision I had for my life.
Looking back, that chapter showed me my own strength—my ability to rise, build, and keep going even when the world stood still.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There were definitely times when I almost gave up. Honestly, there were plenty. I struggled most of my way through college. As a first-generation student, I didn’t have the same resources or support systems that a lot of others around me had. I relied heavily on academic and athletic scholarships, and I worked multiple jobs to cover the rest. USC is not cheap—and living in Los Angeles as a broke college student is even harder.
Every summer, I would go back to Atlanta and find the least expensive apartment I could afford. I worked three jobs to pay rent and still pushed myself to take summer classes so I could finish my nursing prerequisites early—classes I also had to pay for out of pocket. That period of my life was the closest I ever came to giving up. At 19, I felt the full weight of adult responsibilities, and I felt alone in carrying it.
On top of all of that, I lost my father in 2018, during my sophomore year. That grief almost broke me. I couldn’t focus. I felt derailed emotionally, mentally, spiritually—just overwhelmed in every direction.
What pulled me out was God (and therapy). USC offered free counseling for students, and that was the first time therapy changed my life. And strengthening my relationship with God during that time gave me a sense of peace, purpose, and resilience I didn’t know I had. Looking back now, I’m so grateful I didn’t give up. But in the moment, it was one of the hardest battles I’ve ever had to fight.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely—100%. The public version of me is the real me. If anything, people usually say I’m even better in person than I am online. I get the same comment over and over: ‘You’re so much cooler and down-to-earth than I expected.’ Sometimes it even makes me want to delete my social media—maybe.
I’ve always been a genuinely kind, warm, grounded person. To know me is to love me—hence my brand name gottalovelulu. But I also know that when someone only sees the curated, IG-postable moments, they don’t get the full picture. People online don’t see the patients I help and the smiles on their faces, me and my dog cuddling and watching movies, my family time, or even the fact that I get worked up playing video games. Those real moments get lost in translation.
That’s why I’m working on sharing more of my day-to-day life. Because whenever people talk to me in real life, they’re always surprised by how many passions I have and how interesting I can truly be. I want my online presence to reflect that same energy.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people talk about my kindness and the way I lived my life with intention. More than anything, I want my character to speak for itself—how I treated people, whether they were patients, family, friends, or even someone I had just met. I hope they say I was giving, that I treated every patient with respect and truly cared about their well-being.
I also hope they remember that I was God-fearing and tried to live in His light as closely as possible—always pushing for good works, showing forgiveness, and striving to reflect His love in my actions. I want to be remembered as someone who loved deeply—my family, friends, and anyone who came into my life with good intentions. Someone who never acted with ill intentions, who always put her best foot forward, and who worked hard not just for herself but to pour into the people she loved.
I hope the story people tell about me is that I was hardworking, generous, faith-driven, and led with a good heart. That I used everything I achieved to give back, uplift others, and leave people better than I found them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.worldsfamousdermatologist.com/staff/antoinette-leona-harper/
- Instagram: @gottalovelulu / @luluthedoctor
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/m/in/leona-harper/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leona.l.harper
Image Credits
All patient photos have been consented for redistribution.
