Natalie Meeks – From Surviving to Thriving!
Natalie Meeks is definitely not meek! Behind a beautiful façade is a force to be reckoned with, who has survived the flooding and destruction of everything her family had built. Natalie and her husband are the owners and caretakers of The Waters Point, which has been in the Meeks family since 1932. A luxury boutique resort, whose serenity and beauty gently hide the struggles of years’ past, it offers complete wedding package for its guests and a relaxing setting for locals just wanting to explore and enjoy Wimberley, Texas.
It has been with great determination that this venue is fully thriving with its last of twelfth cabins reconstructed and the excitement of a pool and clubhouse underway. Ms. Meeks accredits much of her success to the series of lending opportunities she received from the SBA during back-to-back years of challenges. In May 2015, as Ms. Meeks was in process of securing a 504 loan to reinvest and take ownership of her family’s business, a forty-foot wall of water flooded the Blanco River, rushing through Wimberly and flattening every single cabin on the property.
Ms. Meeks immediately realized that the lodging on which she was basing her future income was no longer feasible and to continue seeking the loan, she would have to improvise and recreate her business model. Her tenacity and ability to pivot, two of an entrepreneur’s much needed skills, gained her the security of an SBA disaster assistance loan first and foremost. She then went on to obtain a 504 loan to help rebuild her family dream and slowly finance the rebuilding of three cabins at a time.
But not long thereafter, COVID emptied the venue. Not only did the newly constructed cabins remain empty, so did her wedding venue. Once again, SBA was there, offering help through the PPP loan, and Natalie kept her doors open for another day. Just a few years later, the Water Point was back on its feet and wedding weekends were booked and cabins were full. The future looked bright. Ms. Meeks refinanced her loan into an expansion construction loan as plans for a pool and club house are underway. Her story exemplifies how SBA is not just a government agency but a partner in a time of need and growth. We keep dreams alive!
Ms. Meeks proclaims, “There have been numerous times that the SBA program has been extremely impactful and helpful for myself and my business. Initially, when I began the search for a lender to finance my dream of entrepreneurship, I was new to the industry and in my late twenties. No bank was willing to lend me that amount of money without the SBA backing and my dream would have never turned into reality. The SBA program opened new doors and also supported our events and lodging business as we chartered rough and unknown waters during COVID with EIDL and PPP loans. I am eternally grateful for the opportunities this program has blessed myself and my family with as we now thrive and continue to grow almost a decade later.”
Ms. Meeks commitment to her business is a a commitment to the entire community of Wimberely, where her resort’s 10,000 annual overnight visitors, bring business and growth to the local economy. Natalie Meeks was also the recipient of the Woman Owned Small Business of the Year Award for 2024, and she claims that such recognition reminds her to believe in herself on those days when she struggles to do so. The award gave her an inner confidence that reassures her when she question’s her own ability. After everything she been through, and has survived with amazing grace and capacity, it would be hard to believe she would ever doubt her abilities and her own legacy left at The Waters Point.