If cats have nine lives than Amanda Goff must have feline DNA carousing through her veins.
Goff’s career projectory is anything but conventional. After starting her career as a journalist, Goff made the decision to enter the world of escorting under the moniker ‘Samantha X’. She’s since abandoned that world altogether.
Now, with her new book Misfit, published by Echo on 4 March, she is stripping back the last layer of performance – saying goodbye to Samantha X and fully embracing Amanda Goff. The memoir details her journey through addiction, a bipolar diagnosis, and the decision to step away from a lucrative brand built on notoriety.
While she might not be the conventional teacher brands and agencies are be used to, she is, perhaps, the most honest, and her ability to reinvent herself, apropos of nothing external, is a masterclass in evolution.
“Well, I hate hypocrites” Goff told Mediaweek, “so that’s a good start”.
Amanda Goff
Slow burn
“I went public with Samantha 10 years ago when no one in the industry was talking about the industry. It was very controversial at the time,” Goff explains. “Now, even Instagram wasn’t a huge thing 10 years ago. If I’d come out now, I don’t think it would be that much of a big deal at all. I had to grow when I came out. I exposed myself to the whole of Australia and the world because I went on TV in LA and London. I had to learn about social media, learn about ownership, and learn about growth.”
Through this transformation, Goff has gained a unique perspective on personal branding, authenticity, and the shifting expectations of audiences in the digital age.
The social media evolution
In a world dominated by curated feeds and aesthetic perfection, Goff acknowledges the stark contrast between generations. “I have a sort of envy for how they’re able to be so free online,” she admits. “I didn’t understand how people could do this online, but it’s because it’s so alien to me. You know, I grew up in a generation where we did talk about our feelings, and now not only do we talk about our feelings, but we put them out there in the world for everyone else.”
This oversharing, however, comes with consequences. “You need to be kind of careful as well. What you put out there can be almost used against you.”
As the social media landscape continues to evolve, brands and influencers are constantly navigating the fine line between relatability and aspirational content. But according to Goff, today’s audiences are becoming increasingly wary of perfection.
Goff’s latest book, ‘Misfit’.
Authenticity over perfection
Goff believes that authenticity is the ultimate currency in today’s world: “It’s okay for brands to get things wrong; it’s okay to make mistakes. Because guess what? That’s called being genuine – and audiences appreciate that, and that’s called being authentic.”
She points to the rise of reality TV as an example of why imperfection resonates with people. “Someone, somewhere, can always relate to reinvention, to healing, to blowing up their lives with drugs, alcohol, relationships, whatever embarrassing mistakes. People like that because it makes them feel better about themselves.”
This, she argues, is why the era of the “Instagram-perfect influencer” is losing steam. “Yes, that might be aspirational, but it’s not realistic. Women, in particular, are moving away from that idea because we know it’s not real.”
For brands and agencies, this shift presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Recent controversies, like Carrie Bickmore and Fifi Box’s ill-received Kmart collaboration, highlight the dangers of inauthenticity. When audiences perceive a lack of sincerity, backlash is swift. Goff stresses that the most damaging thing a brand or public figure can do is project a facade that doesn’t align with reality.
The pitfalls of fakeness in branding
Goff is blunt about the consequences of maintaining an unrealistic public image. “If you scratch beneath the surface of any mansion in decent suburbs of Sydney, you’ll find rot. You’ll find dysfunctional relationships, alcoholism, drug addiction, fraud. As Samantha, I got exposed to those kinds of people and those kinds of lives.”
This level of inauthenticity is why some public figures and brands get caught in PR disasters. “People can sniff out insincerity,” she warns. “The ones who make headlines for the wrong reasons are those who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk.”
The element of inauthenticity was recently thrust into the spotlight after radio stars Carrie Bickmore and Fifi Box copped online criticism from Australian shoppers, over their Kmart ad campaign.
The radio duo teamed up with the budget retailer for a paid partnership, showing off a shopping spree inside a Kmart store. But rather than sparking excitement, the ad has left viewers unconvinced – many accusing the pair of being “rookies” who rarely, if ever, shop there.
Shared across the Carrie & Tommy Show and Fifi, Fev & Nick Show Instagram pages, the video sees the besties on the hunt for affordable home decor. But eagle-eyed fans were quick to call out a glaring detail – one that, for many, proves they’re not exactly regulars at the retail giant.
Carrie Bickmore and Fifi Box.
“Tell me you don’t shop at Kmart without telling me – came out with a cushion and a vase. LOL take me and I will show you how to shop at Kmart. Tip one get a trolley,” wrote one Instagram user.
While another also took aim at the absence of a trolley: “Pft, rookies. Where’s the dual shopping trolleys?”
She urges brands, influencers, and companies to embrace the full spectrum of their identity. “It’s really important for brands, people, and companies to embrace the good, the bad, and the ugly. The striving for perfection is so unrealistic and so damaging, particularly to women. That is more harmful than good.”
A call for realness
As the advertising and media industry grapples with shifting audience expectations, Goff’s insights serve as a wake-up call. Consumers are demanding transparency, and brands that fail to deliver risk irrelevance – or worse, backlash.
The solution? Own who you are. Embrace imperfection. And most importantly, never underestimate your audience’s ability to see through the illusion.
For agencies and brands looking to maintain credibility, authenticity isn’t just an option – it’s a necessity.
Pictured: Amanda Goff