Caroline Harris Davila on Running for Office at 27 | Rock Solid Round Rock

Bryan: Welcome to Rock Solid, the Round Rock Business Leaders podcast. Hi everybody, it’s Bryan Eisenberg and welcome to Rock Solid. This week I am joined by State Representative Caroline Harris Davila.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s always a challenge because I’ve actually had someone who had a very similar name, so it always throws me. And it’s interesting because I have you here not as State Representative but as Caroline, because this is not a podcast about politics. It’s a podcast about the community.

Bryan: Right. And I said I’m happy to sit with a neighbor. And you are absolutely a neighbor. You always talk about being proud that you grew up here in Round Rock. And to me more than anything is I get to see you in the community. I’ve seen you at ribbon cuttings, at events like the Women Who Mean Business last week. That to me is what stands out in anybody who wants to represent the community. What was that moment where you felt that not only are you from here, but you need to represent what it means to be from here?

Caroline: I remember I was sitting in my former boss’s office and we were working on some policy and I just remember taking stock of what was going on in my own community and thinking, I don’t see a very bright future in the way we’re trending. I was only 27 at the time. My only thought was I need to help. If I want to see a change, then I have to be willing to step up and get involved. I started talking to people I knew around here , can I hold signs for someone who’s going to run? And we’re blessed to live in a community that just encourages people to go for it. I had people say, “Well, why won’t you do it? Why can’t you do it?” And even my parents , without skipping a beat they were like, “Yep, you’d be great at that. You should just do it.” And I’m only 27 years old. I was not good at public speaking. It freaked me out. I didn’t have the money or the connections or all the things you think you need to run for office. But it really was just thinking, if I want to see a change in the community, I need to step up and do something. I can’t complain about it or try to get other people to do it. I need to put some stock in it.

Bryan: What were the things that you grew up here that you will defend forever?

Caroline: Well, number one, I think we have just an amazing faith community here. My dad started a church here in Round Rock when I was young. I really got a front row seat to that faith community. We would go door to door during Christmas and sing carols to people. We were so involved in the community, but it wasn’t just us. There were so many other people. There’s just a heart here for people and helping people. I serve with 149 other members in the House and I can tell you our community is unique in that way. I grew up knowing that if I needed anything, I could go to any of our neighbors and they would help. And that’s what I tell people , I want to make sure we keep that neighborly community as we grow, almost keeping a small-town feel no matter how big we get.

Bryan: What’s that magic that makes this community have that cohesiveness where others really struggle?

Caroline: Two things. Number one, I really do think that the Lord has just blessed us. I don’t know of any other community that has had the incredible leadership that Round Rock has had over so many years. But the second thing is you have to have a common goal. Everybody has to have that want to help, and it’s not just wanting to help, it’s stepping up to help. Everybody wants to lift everybody up. They want everybody to have a good life. Doesn’t matter if you’re brand new here or if you’ve lived here 30 years. When you have a common goal like that, everything really fits together so much better.

Bryan: If someone were to follow you around for a week, what would they see that would show you’re more part of this community than the title?

Caroline: They probably would need several naps along the way. In the Texas legislature, we only get $600 a month. It’s a part-time job. We go to Austin every other year for 140 days , those are 60-80 hour work weeks. But the year and a half we’re not there, most of my colleagues have a 9-to-5 job. For me, because our community is growing so fast, I have just made this my full-time job. I work easily 40 hours a week , not just going to events, but also meeting with constituents. I don’t think people understand that if anybody wants to meet with me, I meet with them. We sit down in my office in Round Rock or at the Capitol and we just talk about whatever their issues are. I love telling people that because I don’t think people think of their state representative as someone they can just have a meeting with and ask for help.

Bryan: What’s the range of the craziest thing that you’ve heard to the more common thing that people come in asking for support?

Caroline: Most common would be getting a driver’s license appointment. Some people get a six-month appointment and they don’t know who to go to. And then the most wide-ranging , we had a family reach out that was having difficulty getting an autopsy of a loved one who had passed away and we were able to help with that. I used to tell people if you need help with a state agency, let me know. Now I just tell people if you need help, let me know. One of the benefits of being in the community so much is I know so many other people that might be able to help even if I can’t.

Bryan: How do you stay plugged in with so many nonprofits? We work very closely with Will Williams who’s been a guest on the show. How does a nonprofit come to you?

Caroline: One thing I am passionate about is being approachable. I want it to be easy for people to find me. I don’t want people to have to necessarily call me on the phone. If they can ask me in person, I’d much prefer that. And one thing I love about this job is I get to connect people. Sometimes I’ll have someone who’s passionate about an issue and they don’t know there’s a nonprofit working on it that can help them. Just connecting people in the community that can help each other , that’s where the magic happens.

Bryan: I don’t think people appreciate how valuable that is when you can find those connectors in your life. One of the events we were at together was a Chamber luncheon. Aaron Dominguez brought his son up to you. You talked to him about being more civic-minded as an 18-year-old entrepreneur. Where does that passion to educate young people come from?

Caroline: My parents taught me the importance of being involved civically. When I first ran for office, it really did feel like jumping off a cliff. But once I got elected I just remember thinking, so many more young people can be more involved than they think they can. I go knock on doors when I run for election and I love to bring young people with me just so they can understand , when I knock on a door, I ask people what’s your top concern and we have a conversation. It’s just getting to know the heart of your community. Even voting , it’s one of the most sacred rights we have as Americans. And especially at the local level, there are a lot of local races that are won or lost over a handful of votes.

Bryan: Exactly. Your school board, your city council, all sorts of things.

Caroline: And I also want young people to realize , if a young person comes up to me and asks if they can help me, I put them to work right away. There is so much opportunity for them to get more involved. And I work with a group that recruits young people to run for office all across the country. It’s just letting them know , you can do this, and there are people more than willing to help you.

Bryan: What are some of the biggest issues you’re hearing from young people going into today’s world?

Caroline: I think one of the big concerns is just what kind of life am I going to have once I graduate from college. In Texas we have done a lot of work to open up the trade and workforce side of things. One of my brothers is a welder, got his welding degree from TSTC, and loves his job. But I have friends whose kids have graduated from college in very high-level degrees that are still trying to find work. That’s something I hope we can look at next session , we’ve got American talent, these great young people, we need to make sure there are job opportunities available for them, especially in our community. Housing affordability of course is something we talk about too. How can we make that American dream more accessible to young people?

Bryan: Talking about growing up , you grew up in a very big household.

Caroline: I did. 10 siblings, 11 kids in all. I’m the middle child. When I was first running for office, my joke was I had to run for office just to get attention. But being the middle child, I’m probably one of the most laid-back people you will ever meet. Very much go with the flow. And my parents are very driven people, so my siblings and I are the same way. My grandparents, my dad’s parents, are still living right next door to my parents. They’re 90 and 95. Amazing people.

Bryan: I’ve heard your grandmother was a teacher. If you were to go to downtown Round Rock and had to give a lesson on something, what would it be?

Caroline: Maybe problem solving and just working with people , how to work with people. In the House, a lot of people are surprised to learn that over 95% of what we work on is bipartisan. A lot of it is just building those good relationships with people. And I think it’s a little more difficult with social media and things like that. I think we’re losing some of those people skills. Just passing on good skills that I was taught that have benefited me in my role , to these young people who may not have had that opportunity.

Bryan: You’re also one of the youngest representatives out there. How do you make sure that people see you for who you are, not for your age?

Caroline: A lot of that comes from my identity in the Lord. I know who the Lord created me to be. And that gives me the peace and the confidence to walk forward and solve problems and not worry about what people say or think of me. And I really think as young people, one of our superpowers is hard work and being able to work hard and having the energy and the time. I decided that was going to be what I wanted people to respect me for , working hard. That’s how my parents raised me. But that’s really what I tell a lot of young people , hard work is what people will respect you for no matter your age or background or anything like that. It’s just universally respected.

Bryan: You mentioned the word confidence. If you could leave people with a piece of advice on how to step forward with more confidence daily, what would you share?

Caroline: Two things. One, it really is my relationship with the Lord that gives me that confidence because my goal is just to be a piece of what the Lord is doing in someone else’s life. I want people to be loved well through me. Every single human on this earth has a specific purpose that the Lord set out for them that he built them to accomplish. And I want to infuse people with that confidence and that love. And then number two , every day we are making an impact on people. Whether you know it or not, when you smile at someone, the cashier, it doesn’t matter who, that can change their life. Because you and I have both heard the stories of people who were in a dark place, thinking should I end my life, and they may think, if someone would just acknowledge me today or smile at me today. It really can be as small as a smile or asking how someone is. So that’s one practical thing you can do every day , just looking out for one other person.

Bryan: Yeah. And it’s so powerful. In fact, it’s something I wrote about this morning on social media. Right now as we’re recording there’s a midmorning mixer. And I was reading this past week an article that found from a scientific point of view what it is that makes people who walk into rooms stand out at networking events. And it turned out the intention they went in with to help other people be seen , warmth , just to approach the world as bring your warmth to everything. I love that because I think we can all use a little more warmth in our lives.

Caroline: Absolutely. I love that. And that’s another thing that makes this community so great , I can list off 15 people that come into a room like that at the events we go to in Round Rock.

Bryan: One final question. What’s the one thing about your story that’s untold that would surprise people?

Caroline: The most surprising reaction I get is when I tell people how scared I was of public speaking and how bad I was at it. My first speech I ever gave when I was running for office, I almost threw up right after. I was just petrified. I was shaking. And it was just one of the things I had to take to the Lord and be like, you called me to do this, so how can I learn? Thankfully in politics you have a lot of practice of public speaking. Now I’ve gotten to the point where I actually like it. And it is just storytelling. My old boss was so good at taking policy and turning it into stories and making it relatable. I had the benefit of learning from him how to do that. I’m still learning, still growing in that area, but I really am to the point where I like it now.

Bryan: Judge Grall said the same thing , he said he just needs the stories, because the policies, the regulations, they don’t mean anything until you can connect them back to a real person. We appreciate you so much.

Caroline: Thank you. This has been really enjoyable.