How to Rally: Wisdom from a Life Spent Beating the Odds

No matter what you are trying to overcome, How to Rally can serve as a master class in harnessing what you need to build back your life.

Richard Ader was looking straight at death. But he refused to let it take him. It was March 2019 and he was in the recovery room after an ablation procedure on his heart. His doctor told him that it was a success. But the next thing he remembers, it was two days later and he woke up thinking he was dead. His heart had stopped, he had been put into a medically induced coma, and doctors had told his family to prepare for his demise. They all thought it was the end. But in many ways, it turned out to be just the beginning.

In How to Rally, Ader details his remarkable recovery, from being unable to stand on his own to returning to play tennis, the sport he has loved for decades, to running his business, U.S. Realty Advisors, the industry-leading corporate real estate firm he built from scratch more than 30 years ago, and to enjoying life with Pam, his wife of more than 56 years. Through eight lessons drawn from decades of experience overcoming obstacles and beating the odds, Ader will inspire readers to develop a careful, reasoned understanding of risk and reward, set bold-but-realistic goals, take decisive action, care about the people around them, and invest time and energy with an eye toward the future. The skills that served Ader well in real estate and in life turned out to be remarkably similar to what he needed for a successful recovery from major illness. No matter what you are trying to overcome, How to Rally can serve as a master class in harnessing what you need to build back your life.

Richard Ader founded U.S. Realty Advisors, LLC in 1989—and has been in the corporate real estate net lease industry since 1968. He serves as Chairman of the company and is the Chief Investment Officer and portfolio manager. Ader is one of the pioneers in the field of corporate sale-leaseback transactions and a leading authority on the subject, as well as a two-time Net Lease Executive of the Year. He is a member of the board of trustees of the United States Tennis Association Foundation, the Southwestern Vermont Health Care System, Bennington College, and the Owners and Builders Division of the Real Estate Board of New York, as well as chairman of the advisory board to the University of Vermont College of Arts and Sciences, and a former member of the board of the University of Vermont Foundation. A graduate of the University of Vermont with a degree in banking and finance, Ader is a member of the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame for his performance on the basketball team. He is also the owner of the Bennington Tennis Center, which he developed in 2010. For his philanthropic work in youth tennis, he was named one of the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network’s “50 for 50.”

 

Patrick McEnroe is a former Grand Slam doubles champion and singles semifinalist. He is currently the director of tennis at the McEnroe Tennis Academy, a commentator on ESPN, and he is the host of the podcast “Holding Court.” He was formerly the United States Davis Cup captain and head of the United States Tennis Association’s player development program. McEnroe lives with his family in the greater New York City area.