Texas State Representative Caroline Harris Davila, one of the youngest members of the Texas House, shares an unusually personal account of her journey from a fearful speaker to a confident community advocate in Episode 78 of the Rock Solid: Round Rock Business Leaders Podcast, hosted by Bryan Eisenberg. The episode, titled "Caroline Harris Davila | From Round Rock Kid to State Representative," aired on June 16, 2026, and delves into the texture of civic life in Round Rock beyond political talking points.
Harris Davila, who grew up as a pastor's kid alongside Mark Westerfield of Central Baptist Church, credits her faith-based upbringing for shaping her worldview. She discusses the mechanics of the part-time Texas legislature, which pays $600 a month and convenes 140 days every other year, and addresses pressing local issues such as housing affordability and trade school pathways like TSTC in Hutto to retain young talent in Central Texas. The conversation also highlights how nonprofits, including Will Williams' work distributing power wheelchairs to veterans, plug into her office.
In a candid moment, Harris Davila reveals her initial struggles with public speaking. "My first speech I ever gave when I was running for office, I almost threw up right after. I mean, I was just petrified. I was shaking... it really was one of the top reasons of why I didn't even want to run because I just didn't think I would be able to communicate," she tells Eisenberg. She credits her parents, her grandparents (still living next door at 90 and 95), and her faith for pushing her past that fear.
The episode digs into the daily reality of constituent service that rarely makes headlines. Harris Davila says the most common request her office handles is help securing a driver license appointment, but the range stretches to extraordinary cases, including a family that needed help streamlining an autopsy for a loved one. She notes that over 95% of Texas House initiatives are bipartisan, a surprising statistic for those familiar with national politics. She also describes her role as a connector, linking constituents to nonprofits, sponsoring silent auction items, arranging flags flown over the Capitol, and recruiting young people nationally to run for local office through a group she works with on candidate development.
Produced by Round Rock Studio and hosted by bestselling author and keynote speaker Bryan Eisenberg, the Rock Solid: Round Rock Business Leaders Podcast spotlights the entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and civic leaders building one of Central Texas's fastest-growing communities. Episode 78 is available now wherever podcasts are heard.
