Social influencer Amanda Golka of Swell Entertainment chatted about being a part of the digital age.
She also discussed the importance of disconnecting from social media and getting outdoors.
What motivates you each day as a social influencer?
My mind is always going. I am constantly thinking about new ideas and taking in new information and finding new ways to work that back into my content.
Anytime it’s a harder day, like when scrolling through Twitter or TikTok just feels like bad news after bad news, I remember emails I got form viewers during lockdown, about how my videos were the bright spots in their week. That’s always a good motivator.
How does it feel to be a part of the digital age? (at a time when social media and streaming are so prevalent)
Good and bad honestly. I love how connected everything and everyone is. I have viewers and friends all over the world now because of the digital age, which is amazing. But I also think there are so many downsides.
Like how we definitely are not mentally designed to see this many beautiful people everyday, or how every social post (or non-post) is studied and interpreted for hidden meanings when really it’s just a silly post. I also think the streaming era of media is such a mess.
We have shows and movies that came out in the last five years that are now lost media because of the streaming model. Total nightmare.
What do your plans for the future include?
I want to get back to writing and acting. I put so much of my creative interests outside of YouTube and content creation on the back burner because I was traveling so much but I really want to make time again.
I just have so many ideas but the same twenty four hours as everyone else.
Were there any moments in your life or career that have helped define you?
I always think about New Year’s Eve 2019. I was with my friends and we were all talking about our plans for the year and I shared how I was taking a gap year after finishing my second associate’s degree to work and give YouTube a real shot.
They told me it was maybe time to stop trying to make YouTube happen, and kind of implied my content was cringe. I could have listened, but instead I just moved ahead with my plans of starting to do weekly videos.
By February of that year, I had a video go viral that launched my channel. I went full time a few months later. You can’t look for validation for your content from your friend group, because they are not who your target audience is.
What is your advice for young and aspiring content creators?
There will always be someone doing something similar to you or “better” than you. The trick is to figure out what you can do or how you can look at a trend or topic differently.
My video that launched my channel was about a show a ton of other creators had already covered, but I was the only one who made my video by actually going to a live taping of the show, something I had done a few times before.
Can you talk about the importance of disconnecting from social media and getting outdoors?
Some days are honestly easier than others. Especially since my job entails me being in the know of what’s going on with various social sites on a near constant basis. I am fortunate in that a chunk of my content revolves around event reviews which I do often need to go out for.
I love hiking, we have quite a few trails here in LA that I like. Especially the hilly ones I think are good to get your hips moving to counteract sitting at a desk so often. Where I truly love however is Joshua Tree National Park.
There’s no cell service there, so I can truly disconnect and go hiking and bouldering without worrying about my phone.
What does the word success mean to you?
Honestly I think it has changed for me over the years. When I was working retail or as a barista, I suppose my current life would be what I thought success was.
I get to make a living doing mostly whatever I want, living on my own in Los Angeles, my car is fully paid off, my fridge is stocked.
Now, though after doing this job full time for a few years, I want to get to a point where I own my own home, my days truly are my own to write or act or film or travel without the worry of a deadline.
I also think success is impacting people in a meaningful way, and I feel that whenever I get a message from someone telling me they are going to a concert by themselves for the first time because of me, or that they have been having a hard week and my video made them laugh. So, I guess success for me is pretty fluid.
What would you like to say to your fans?
What’s poppin? No, I’m kidding. I want to say I hope they are asking questions and looking at things differently. I also want to say I hope they don’t hate me one day when I do decide to no longer make videos.
It won’t be tomorrow or the next day, but I do not see myself doing this for the rest of my life.
To learn more about Amanda Golka, follow her on Instagram.
