Ash Howard is the director of the family-owned pop culture department store Popcultcha in Geelong. He spoke with Jena Carr about what he loved most about where he lives and works.
What is your connection to Geelong?
I was born and raised here in Geelong and have lived here my entire life, aside from some brief stints in Melbourne and London. I am a local business owner, and we employ hundreds of fellow Geelong people. I have played footy and basketball here and am an avid fan and sponsor of the Geelong Cats and Supercats!
What do you like about where you live?
The people. I still consider Geelong to be a large country town, and we have that sense of community and rural sensibilities. Access to Australia’s best coastline, schools, wineries and produce are also pretty handy.
What, if anything, would you change about where you live?
As Geelong transforms into a big city, there have been some missteps and wastage of public funds in our urban development due to poor planning or divided opinion.
We need to focus on the traffic flow and accessibility of the CBD whilst complementing this with bike access and urban green spaces rather than reducing the former.
Where is your favourite place to spend time?
I’m getting old, so I’d probably say at home with family and friends, cooking a BBQ or sitting around the fire chatting and having a beer. You will likely find me at Lou’s Pizza, Bistrot St Jean or down in Lorne if I’m out for dinner.
What is something people may not know about you?
I split my time between Geelong and Portland, Oregon, in the USA, which is my second home. I love the outdoors over there; mountains, coastlines, and more. You will likely find me floating down the Deschutes River in the Oregon summertime, Geelong’s winter.
What led you to work with Popcultcha?
My folks started the business in the early 90s as a basketball card shop called Card Mania. I took it over 16 years ago after working as a lawyer and accountant. That gave birth to Popcultcha, an international eCommerce business with a few cool brick-and-mortar spaces in Geelong for people to explore.
What do you enjoy the most about your work?
I love the people and the products. We have a very diverse bunch of passionate staff right across the business, and that makes me proud, happy and humbled. Whilst I don’t personally collect much of what we sell, I still love it and have a keen interest in all of it.
We are about to open Popcultcha Records and Books on March 1. It has been a passion project of mine, and I’m looking forward to having the people of Geelong through that space.
