Digital Pioneer, Amanda Golka, on Redefining Digital Storytelling, Her Vision for the Future, and Celebrating a Decade of Creativity

Amanda Golka has spent the last decade carving out a unique space in the world of digital media, inspiring others to embrace their individuality, explore new destinations, and emphasize the importance of authenticity on social media. We caught up with Amanda to discuss her ambitious future projects, tease her upcoming book, and learn about her beauty must-haves for this winter.

What inspired you to start Swell Entertainment?

I started my channel when I was sixteen and it was actually under a
different name, AMG Productions. I had always loved Youtube but I had I also always wanted to be an actress, so when I saw youtubers getting cast in projects I jumped on making my channel. So I fully started it because I wanted to be famous, but as time went on I grew to love the creating and editing process. Swell Entertainment as it’s known now really started when I was twenty. I came back from a hiatus because I wanted to create again and I was seeing all these influencers sell products to their young audiences that I knew they were not using. I decided I would be the one to try these products more fully.


You recently celebrated 10 years on YouTube.  What do you see for the future of your channel and for Swell Entertainment as a whole?

Ideally I want to make Swell Entertainment a legitimate production
company, not just an independent media company of one. I want to make films and shows and help other creatives get their stories made. But in its current identity I’m pretty happy with the channel where it’s at. 

With winter now upon us, what are some of your favorite pieces and looks for the colder months ahead? Any brands that you are loving right now?

I am a sweater collector (hoarder). I love a sweater paired with some loose jeans or a skirt with tights. I have this Farm Rio knit jacket that I’m currently obsessed with because it’s built like a jacket but it feels like a sweater and it’s got a ton of pockets and these cool leopards all over it. I love it. I also got some brown suede boots from Madewell that I’ve been pairing with a lot of looks.

Capturing content for your channel has taken you to some amazing and fun destinations.  What are some of your favorite locations that you would recommend to our readers?

I can’t rave about Japan enough. I mainly went for the F1 Suzuka Grand Prix but stayed longer and went to Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo.  I literally did not have one bad meal while I was there and it’s just an amazing country. And I got a little addicted to dango which is a rice cake snack with sweet soy sauce. I also really liked Hayward, Wisconsin when I went for the Lumberjack World Championship, specifically the Lumberjack Bowl where they held the event. The viewing area overlooks a bit of the lake that’s just full of lily pads and tall grass. It was beautiful even though we got hit by a freak storm and I had to run to my rental car in pouring rain.


Given your frequent travels, what are some of the beauty products that you always have with you when on a trip?

I am a strict hand cream user. I’ve been using one from Clarins Paris for awhile now that I like but I am still a Eucerin Intense Repair hand cream user once it saved my hands while I was on Accutane. I also never do anything without SPF, whether it’s flying or sitting in my office space working. I am really loving the House of Joseon SPF right now because I have dry skin and need a little extra hydration wherever I can get it. I also love a good hyaluronic acid from Evolve Beauty to really lock in moisture.


What are some of the beauty trends of 2024 that you hope to see left behind, and are there any trends that you would like to see in
2025?

Honestly I’m so sick of the trendification of everything. I recently
went into Sephora trying to find a rose water spray or hydrating mist
and everything was just an “essence” because apparently “sprays aren’t the trend right now”. It’s crazy! Not everything needs to be on a trend cycle. I want bright colors to come back again though. As much as I love a good sparkly brown eyeshadow I miss the bright colors and really pigmented shade. There are still colorful shadows out there but they are so unpigmented and are just not doing it for me.


As someone who has a career focused around social media, how would you describe its role in today’s world?

It’s become intertwined with everything and so many people either hate that or refuse to see it. It influences how people get their news to how they shop to even what words they use in day to day conversation. Many people don’t even have cable anymore because they have Youtube and TikTok and Twitch to watch instead along with their streaming platforms. Honestly I am interested to see how things change if the proposed TikTok ban does go through, because TikTok in particular is involved in so much of the digital marketing landscape I think a lot could change.


What do you hope to see from future young adults that have been raised in the digital age?

I’m getting very concerned about how public everything is. I grew up alongside the development of social media when they were still telling us the importance of not putting your birth year in your screenname. Now people are full of posting videos of them sobbing and over sharing for likes and views and I think people are forgetting the internet is forever. I will say I am glad for how informative social media is for young people, people are learning about conflicts and politics in countries they have never even thought to look up before, and I think that’s a beautiful thing. Young adults are not just motivated to learn more about other places and cultures in the digital age, they want to spread what they have learned.

Beyond Swell Entertainment you are focused on your passion for writing.  Any exciting projects that you can tease?

Oh gosh there are so many. One I am really motivated to work on right now is a book about going it alone. One big pillar of my content is how I do so much traveling and attending alone as a young woman, and I never thought much of it when I started. I was tired of waiting on other people to live my life and so I just started going places alone which then fed my content. But now I get DMs and messages about how my videos encouraged them to go to a concert alone or an event, and that feels amazing. There’s something there that I want to explore more with my writing, because I think being able to operate alone is something I sometimes take for granted.


Outside of your work, what are you hoping to achieve in the upcoming year?

Honestly this year I have been struggling a lot with the feeling of running in place. I have DONE a lot but none of what I did was what I had planned on doing or even what I had wanted to do at the start of last year. It’s a frustrating position to be in because I’m quite literally exhausted but I havent done even half of what I wanted to do. So next year, even starting now, I am taking concrete steps to work on projects outside of the Swell Entertainment. That includes writing, working on an upcoming production, taking strides in working on one of my business ideas. For me 2025 is about taking steps in my life as Amanda Golka and not just as Swell Entertainment.

Photo Credit:

Photographer: Ben Cope

Stylist: Anna Schilling

Hair/Makeup: Blondie