Orange Business Chamber boss Ash Brown has business in his blood.
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"My parents owned the Angus and Robertson bookshop in town. I was working there from 15," he said.
"I learned to love business coming from quite a business family."
Mr Brown who runs his own real estate agency says he has worked for others but prefers working for himself.
People still really want to shop, but they want to be entertained at the same time.
- Ash Brown, president Orange Business Chamber
He says there is a special feeling about succeeding in business.
"When you have an achievement it's like a good feeling. It's a rush, it's like winning a running race. It's one of the best feelings. "I love my work. We all think about retiring but I don't think I will ever stop work," he said.
But one thing he says he won't be doing is returning to being an Orange City councillor.
He said his time as a councillor opened up networks and contacts but he believes he can do more as the head of the business chamber.
"One term was certainly enough for me," he said.
Mr Brown said he moved to Orange when he was four and attended Calare Public and Orange High schools.
He said he later took over the bookshop from his parents and ran it for seven years before the rise of the internet and digital reading.
"It just became an industry that was disrupted. It was time for a change, it was a forced change," he said.
He left the bookshop and went into property.
"I did think about real estate for a long time," he said.
Mr Brown said he started at Williams Machin Real Estate under the guidance of Doone Grist.
"She was a very good mentor to me, very strict and very supportive," he said.
He later joined Josh Fitzgerald at One Agency Orange before taking over the business about a year ago.
Mr Brown said he was enjoying being the head of the business chamber.
"I love the buzz of business and being able to help and give back," he said.
Mr Brown said it was a time of change for businesses in Orange, particularly with the upcoming release of the Future City project which might transform the CBD.
"In business it's never forever. You always have to think ahead and adjust and change," he said.
"People still really want to shop, but they want to be entertained at the same time.
"It's a perfect time. We can now think about how we want to shape what we want the CBD to be," he said.
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David Fitzsimons
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
