Inspiring A Rural Revival

By Danna Larson, Rural Revival founder & podcast host

Revival [ ri-vahy-vuhl ]
restoration to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, an awakening

Revival. I guess that’s what I set out to inspire when I started Rural Revival, though I hardly knew it at the time! It all started coming together as I was driving home from Nashville for Christmas on the farm in Iowa, through small town after small town. It really hit me that I’m tired of seeing our small towns slowly die off and fade away. I loved growing up in my small town. It was a great way to grow up! And I really want to see future generations have that same opportunity and experience.

Over Christmas vacation, I spent time with friends one night at a bar and grill owned by my friend Jeremy. Jeremy’s place has the coolest vibe because it’s an old restored train depot. He has lived and worked all over the world and recently chose to move back to his hometown to open up a few small businesses, which I think is pretty great!

It was that night when I made an off-handed comment to my friends that maybe I should start a podcast to tell stories about people like Jeremy and what he’s doing, and show people that it’s possible to have a really cool business in a small town. The response from everyone around the table was, “Yes! You need to do that!”

To my surprise, this came up a few more times during my Christmas break in Iowa. It was an idea I just couldn’t shake, so when I got back to Nashville I asked God for confirmation, saying “God, if this idea is from You, then give me a name for it.”

It was about three weeks later, in the middle of an ordinary day walking through my condo, when out of nowhere the name Rural Revival dropped into my head. I knew in that moment this was something God was calling me to do.

At the time I knew nothing about podcasting, but thankfully one of my close friends is a music producer, and he helped me get the right equipment and taught me how to edit. And with that, I started interviewing my friends and posting those interviews to share with the world.

I didn’t really have any expectation of what would come of it, but before long emails started coming in. People were asking me how I could help their business or help their small town. At the time, I honestly didn’t even know how to answer them! But I kept listening to what they were saying and began to figure out ways I could bring value and help meet their needs.

I started taking road trips around the country to visit small towns and interview people with incredible stories that I knew would inspire others. I also started a Rural Revival blog sharing even more stories, and one thing led to another. Before long I was hosting Mastermind* events, speaking at conferences, and starting our Cultivate** group, where small-town business owners and leaders can come together to learn from and encourage each other.

Now, three years into this adventure, Rural Revival has become a place to celebrate those who are pioneering new ideas in rural communities and to spark ideas for your own small-town entrepreneurial adventure! This is a community within itself, where we can all encourage and support each other as we go after our dreams.

As more and more people listen to these Rural Revival stories, they are being inspired to bring their own dream to their small town, and I can’t get enough of hearing about these dreams coming to life. It’s so exciting to see that revival in our small towns and rural communities is not only possible, it's happening! This really is only the beginning — I truly believe the best is yet to come!

And as an added bonus for me, Rural Revival has given me a great new group of friends from all over rural America…people who inspire me daily and who I now can’t imagine doing life without. And I get to cheer them on as they go after their dreams, too.

Wherever you are in life, don’t be afraid to respond when you feel God putting something on your heart. He will show you the next steps, and He will bring you new friendships along the way!

About Danna Larson

Danna is an entrepreneur who recently returned to the farm in Iowa to help bring revival to her hometown. She is the founder and podcast host of RURAL REVIVAL, showcasing the hardworking people who are finding creative ways to do life in rural communities all across America. Danna also serves her audience as a member of the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Task Force and co-creator of THE RURALIST. Beyond that, Danna helps her clients build brands through SPARK SEVEN, her strategic consulting company. She also runs a nonprofit record label. In her free time, you’ll find her leading worship, working on the farm, or cruising the back roads, dreaming up her next business idea.

Danna’s reSOURCEs

*Mastermind: https://www.ruralrevival.co/mastermindpromo

**Cultivate: https://www.ruralrevival.co/cultivate

Rural Revival website: https://www.ruralrevival.co

Rural Revival Instagram: instagram.com/ruralrevivalco

Rural Revival Facebook: facebook.com/ruralrevivalco