Ever wonder how one Texas county doubled its value to $184 billion while weathering floods, twisters, and a pandemic? Bryan Eisenberg pulled that answer from former county judge Bill Gravell in this short conversation. Bill grew up loading neighborhood kids into his dad’s milk truck for pickup baseball on East Main. Decades later he ran Williamson County and County Judge, wrote the stay-home order, and rolled out Wilco Forward cash that kept 3,300 storefronts alive. He watched Mercy Chefs plate 4,300 hot meals in a church kitchen, saw H-E-B’s disaster trailers greeted like parade floats as they rolled into disaster areas after the recent floods, and counted 12,558 new small businesses rising between storms.
Gravell now speaks for Main Street at the SBA across five states, cutting red tape while urging every would-be owner to start with the chamber, the SBDC, and a mentor who has scars and receipts. His call to action stays simple: build your crew before trouble hits, give first, and trust that neighbors will return the favor. Round Rock proves it.
Transcript:
Community, Resilience, and Small-Business Grit
A conversation between Bryan Eisenberg and William “Bill” Gravell
Recorded for the Rock Solid: Round Rock Business Leaders podcast
Intro
Bryan Eisenberg:
Welcome to Rock Solid, the show where we shine a light on the entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and companies that make Round Rock tick. Today I’m sitting down with former Williamson County judge and current SBA regional advocate Bill Gravell. Bill grew up on Main Street, played baseball on dirt lots his dad helped create, and now champions small businesses across five states. Let’s jump in.
Growing Up on Main Street
Bryan: You were born and raised right here. What did Main Street look like when you were a kid?
Bill Gravell:
I grew up at 1402 East Main. From our house to downtown it was nothing but pasture. The only landmark was the Lutheran nursing home. Community mattered because there wasn’t much else.
My dad delivered milk for Coronation Milk. One day he dropped off milk at the home of Bunky Whit, a local banker. Bunky said, “Ever think about living in Round Rock?” Dad said we couldn’t afford it. Bunky found a builder with a dozen foreclosed homes and worked a deal that got the Gravell family here.
Baseball was our entertainment. Dad would load every kid he could find into the back of his old International pickup. No tailgate, no seatbelts, plenty of speed. We’d find an open field, or the patch of dirt behind the nursing home, and play until dark. Eventually several families built the Lily complex so kids had a real place to gather a few nights a week. That was Round Rock. Neighbors solving problems together.
Why Texas Communities Bounce Back
Bryan: This region seems to rally whenever disaster strikes. What makes it different?
Bill:
My first disaster was the Memorial Day floods when I was a senior in high school. We lost everything. Vans from First Baptist Church showed up unannounced and worked in waves until we were back on our feet. Fast-forward to my time as county judge: floods, four tornadoes, wildfires, a mass-casualty shooting, and a pandemic. Each time, volunteers outnumbered official responders.
After the 2022 Round Rock tornado I flew over the county in DPS-1. Hundreds of blue tarps covered roofs. Days later the city organized a Saturday serve-day and a thousand volunteers showed up to help complete strangers. Texans don’t wait for Washington. Your first responder is your neighbor.
Businesses That Show Up
- H-E-B sends its mobile kitchens the moment roads open.
- Mercy Chefs cooked and delivered 4,300 chef-quality meals in Kerrville last week alone.
- A construction company nobody asked for rolled in six lowboys packed with bulldozers and fuel trucks, then worked at its own expense.
When those H-E-B trailers roll down I-10 people honk and follow like it’s a parade. That spirit is why I’ll shop there forever.
Small Business by the Numbers
Bryan: You shared a stat that keeps rattling around in my head. Set the record straight—how fast is Williamson County growing?
Bill:
Six years ago our total appraised value was $89.1 billion. Today it’s $184.4 billion. That’s double in six years. During the same stretch we added 12,558 new small businesses. Samsung’s expansion isn’t even fully on the tax rolls yet. The growth is mom-and-pop shops, homebuilders, trades, the wrap-around services that keep Dell, Apple, and Kalahari running.
Kalahari’s Tornado Story
When the tornado hit, Kalahari staff herded guests and random drivers off Highway 79 into their basement. They saved lives, suffered damage, lost revenue, yet still handed me a donation check for the city before reopening. That reflex to give first is the DNA of this community.
From Sandlot to the White House
Growing up, we didn’t have much. Dad finished eighth grade and drove trucks; Mom commuted to the VA. I was the first in the family to earn a college degree. Teachers Ron Morrison and Talman Jackson drilled into me: “You owe this community.”
I served six years as Justice of the Peace, then county judge. After 2020 I got a call from the SBA. Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman told me, “Stay where you are and do for five states what you did for Williamson County.” Now I advocate for small businesses in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana—without leaving home or my five grandkids.
COVID, Wilco Forward, and a Passion for Main Street
Signing the stay-home order kept people safe but crushed local shops. We launched Wilco Forward, channeling county and federal funds to nearly 3,300 small businesses. Some had pivoted overnight—Leanderthal Distillery started making hand sanitizer for our EOC because none was available to buy. That’s when I knew small business would be my life’s work.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
- Start with your chamber. They have free resources and plenty of reality checks.
- Lean on the SBDC. The Small Business Development Center in Austin helps with business plans and financial models.
- Find a mentor. Someone with gray hair has already paid tuition to the school of hard knocks. Learn from them.
- Plan, then plan again. Great ideas fail when they skip the boring groundwork.
Reach me anytime at william.gravell@sba.gov. I live here and show up at more events than my calendar probably allows.
Closing Thoughts
Bill:
Round Rock succeeds because its people never hesitate to serve. Keep putting neighbors first and this region will remain one of the best places on the planet to build a business and a life.
Bryan:
Bill, thanks for the reminder that compassion scales—and for proving you can grow up on a dirt lot and still end up briefing the White House. Appreciate your time and your service.
Rock Solid is recorded at Round Rock Studio, the city’s local home for podcasters and creatives. Need multicam video or a turnkey audio setup? Check them out and tell them Bryan sent you.