The Rock Solid Round Rock Podcast has reached its one-year anniversary, completing 52 weekly episodes that document the entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and community voices shaping Central Texas. The show, available at rocksolidrr.com, with full video episodes streaming on YouTube, emerged from community feedback following the Round Rock Chamber's Entrepreneurial Town Hall. Hosts Bryan Eisenberg, Bill Combes, and Brent Pierce transformed this request into a platform that blends storytelling, marketing insight, and production quality to capture Round Rock's rising momentum.
This milestone matters because it provides a documented record of business development during a period of extraordinary growth in Williamson County. The county's total appraised value nearly doubled from $89.1 billion to $184.4 billion in six years, with 12,558 new small businesses opening during that same period, even before accounting for the full economic impact of Samsung's massive expansion. The podcast serves as an audio and video archive of the stories behind this economic surge, offering listeners insight into the patterns, challenges, and opportunities within one of America's fastest-growing business communities.
Every episode is recorded at Round Rock Studio, a space designed to foster authentic conversation. The hosts bring complementary expertise: Eisenberg contributes decades of storytelling and behavioral insight, Combes offers hands-on experience with small business needs, and Pierce provides polished production. Their collaborative approach reflects Round Rock's ecosystem of civic leaders, educators, founders, and service-minded residents committed to shaping the region's future.
The show has become a reference point for local founders, Chamber members, community organizations, and elected officials. Episodes highlight business development trends, community needs, education partnerships, nonprofit initiatives, and lessons from both scrappy startups and seasoned leaders. This mix of civic insight and entrepreneurial transparency has helped position Round Rock as one of Texas's most compelling business communities.
Notable guests during the first year include former Round Rock Mayor Charlie Culpepper, former Williamson County Judge and SBA advocate Bill Gravell, U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Relief and Recovery representative Anita Steenson, and numerous local founders like BoosterHub's Robin Eissler, Community Impact's John Garrett, Hot Dog Marketing's Jessica Scanlon, and 26-year Army Ranger veteran Will Williams of the ShareTheWill Foundation. These voices reflect the diversity, creativity, and community-minded leadership defining the region.
The podcast's importance extends beyond celebration to documentation. As Williamson County experiences unprecedented growth, the show captures the human stories behind the statistics, giving founders, civic leaders, and innovators a platform to share how they're shaping a region expanding faster than almost anywhere else in the country. For listeners, this provides both inspiration and practical insight into building businesses within a thriving ecosystem. For the broader business community, it offers a case study in how collaborative storytelling can strengthen regional identity and economic development.
