Recap of the Tied to Greatness™ Tour

By Richard Cox

For Tied to greatness tour dates click here

Alex Ellis, custom clothier and image consultant, is the founder of the Tied to Greatness national outreach program. The program is geared to target male teens in inner city high schools. It has become known as a growing positive image movement that has impacted the lives of male youth from city to city. The theme of the Tied to Greatness tour is “Change what they are… Influence how they think… Impact what they do!”

Tied to Greatness has provided a plan that has helped young men see their greatness and potential. As a result, many of the young men have been motivated to achieve their hopes and dreams in life.

On February 29, 2008, the Tied to Greatness tour stopped by Charles Flowers High School, in Springdale, Maryland. The tour consisted of a two-hour life changing experience that impacted two-hundred male teens as well as fifty adult male volunteers.

As the two hundred young guys walked in the auditorium Ellis asked the men to stand and applaud them. There were expressions of surprise on the faces of the teens. The principle, Mrs. Helena Jones welcomed everyone to the program. Mrs. Jones told the youth to get ready to experience a treat. She said “you’re going to learn something different this morning from your normal classes of math, and English. You’re going to learn about character skills that you will take with you to your careers or wherever you go in life.”

Ellis started off by telling the group that the men volunteered their time today because “they love you and are concerned about you.” He told them that the special speakers were going to tell them how image is important in their lives. Ellis explained how he wanted them to have dignity and pride. He expressed to them how the adult male role models believe that greatness lies in them….that purpose and destiny lies in them. Ellis pointed out how the exterior can be reflective of the interior. He offered the example of shopping in a store, dressed down and not receiving the same respect from the salesperson a person dressed in a suit and tie would most likely receive. Ellis explained how sometimes the salesperson’s perspective would be different based on a person’s outer image. He stated that the image projected can effect how others respond. Ellis ended by saying, “image is power and you can command attention.”