Meet Rick Borden | Urban Farmer & Real Estate Broker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rick Borden, MSL and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rick, how do you think about risk?
One of the primary differences between those who achieve greatness in their lives as practitioners or as scholars and those who manage only to “get by” is that successful people learned early that they were responsible for their actions and their ability to evaluate risk. No other person can make you successful or keep you from achieving your practitioner and academic goals. Taking the initiative means assuming a leadership role, a position that singles you out for praise — and for criticism. A good leader is the one who shares the credit for success with others and assumes full responsibility for failures or temporary setbacks. When you accept responsibility for your actions, you gain the respect of others and are well on the way to creating your future. My risk-taking started back as a young man while I was enlisted in the Army as an 82nd Airborne Paratrooper back in the ’80s… Today risk is part of my personal and professional life, and I look at each situation from serving others. I can only do this by taking myself out of the picture and making it about others and their needs.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My name is Rick Borden. My wife Leane and I run and operate a diverse business model that serves Scottsdale, AZ. Our homestead provides us with an abundance of sustainable food sources that allow us to thrive here at our urban farm. Our main business foundation is helping people in our community to buy and sell real estate. Our family has twenty-six years of sales and research development, documenting our incredible journey to document our failures and successes. I learned at a young age, “Success Leaves Clues.” During the 2020 pandemic, the world experienced a massive shift, and our foresight practitioners started spotting the tells and began to pivot. Scottsdale Urban Farms saw the weak signals and began to shift into a pragmatic strategic approach to serve and coach our clients through this global shift we are experiencing through the fourth industrial revolution. Our business is helping others achieve what they thought to be impossible. We perform “Safe to Fail Experiments” every day in every aspect of our business and share this knowledge with our ecosystem. Technology will change every aspect of every industry during this decade, especially real estate, health care, automotive, education, and all financial sectors that will transform their business to serve the consumer. Tech-Enabled Agents like us will create consumer experiences using platform economies and platform technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), and virtual and augmented reality around our clients and customers’ needs, thus creating a Netflix style of expertise. We understand our businesses’ future requires us to develop systems, processes, and experiences our clients and repeat customers’ desires. What sets us apart is we are active Urban Farmers in Scottsdale, AZ 85254. We educate our clients and customers on how to turn their homestead into a cash-flowing business by growing sustainable food. We create a unique real estate experience that goes well past our client’s initial purchase of their home with us. I mentioned above that we are conducting experiments in every aspect of our business. Our clients and customers provide real-time feedback that allows us to course-correct immediately. The Borden’s are historically known to be real estate practitioners going back many generations and continues today with three active generations serving. Starting a business and navigating a business during a global pandemic takes extreme discipline and dedication to achieve your “Big Why.” The secret is doing the right thing at the right time. Sounds simple right? It is just not easy. I would not be where I am today if I had to do it alone. I owe much of our success personally and professionally to my coaches. Success leaves clues. We now coach others through failure and help them transition from seeing the loss as a bad thing. Our success comes from years of experience, having served our clients and customers through many seasons and life cycles. The biggest lesson I have learned over the years is that we all need help. We need help creating an experience that leaves others feeling touched, moved, or inspired. However, the biggest lesson I have learned personally is to “Get Over Myself.” And, now I can help others accomplish the same thing. The last and most important thing I have learned through the decades is the power of Prayer. My favorite thing to ask people is “What’s Your Story.” Rick Borden, MSL

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would begin by spending a couple of days here at Scottsdale Urban Farms, showing our guests the operational aspects of our developing urban farm. Our urban farm will have a full-service spot for RV parking for guests to enjoy and experience our urban farm first hand. Because we intend that we satisfy their interests and goals they have about coming to visit us. So if they are foodies, we will ask them what type of foods they enjoy eating or ask what kinds of foods they have not tried in the past? Scottsdale has more restaurants than any one person could experience in a lifetime. We also would suggest hiking any of our local trailheads, such as Tom’s Thumb Trail in Scottsdale. Old Town Scottsdale is always a must-see and experience. People come to visit this historic city from around the globe. I suggest visiting during the colder months. Old Town has food, shops, cigars, museums, art, crafts, bars of all styles, and the waterfront. A night out with friends in Kierland is always excellent. Especially around the Holidays when the Christmas lights are up. Golf, Golf, and More Golf! Trips up north are always a great way to get out of the heat too. Prescott, Pinetop, Sedona, and Flagstaff are some great spots we often frequent throughout the year. One of the most requested things to do is drive our guests through the fantastic neighborhoods we have in the Scottsdale/Paradise Valley areas. We wait until the evening and take out the convertible and go move around. And when we are done, we suggest ice cream. Volunteering to serve the homeless in downtown Phoenix is always an experience to share with others. When we do, we come from contribution.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout goes to the current doctoral cohort I am attending school with at the University of Charleston West Virginia. The course work is dedicated to executive leadership and is one of a kind program focusing on breaking down old paradigms and creating new paradigms through accountability and intellectual community. The process of receiving a doctorate in executive leadership is one that requires all the students to work together to solve complex problems during the current global pandemic. I am a better man because of these people. I would also like to shoutout to my family, friends, and my spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ who take a stand every day and pray for our Country and all of our leaders.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottsdaleurbanfarms
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tech-enabledagent/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RickBorden
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nobsrealestatebroker/
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmDiJJmI3cnQLqEglszVlMQ/videos?view_as=subscriber
Other: https://www.facebook.com/whendogsgotoheaven – Page I manage https://www.facebook.com/mindinggodsbusiness – Page I manage