We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lee Williams III. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lee below.

Alright, Lee thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

Poetic RNB started from a personal need that quickly became a community vision. In Jan 2023, I had just released my poetic R&B project Only You and needed a space to perform it. But I didn’t just want a stage for myself I wanted a place where other R&B artists and poets in Winston-Salem could shine too. That idea wouldn’t let me rest.

The next day, I reached out to Bar Nola with a concept for a monthly R&B and poetry experience that felt intimate, soulful, and intentional. They said yes, and from that moment, the idea phase was over.

Launching meant learning on the fly. I designed the flyers, curated the artists, handled sound, promoted the shows, and built the brand from scratch. Each month taught me something new about production, marketing, community-building, and what artists truly needed.

Over time, it became clear that Poetic RNB wasn’t just an event it was becoming an ecosystem. Artists were coming to me for guidance, development, branding support, and opportunities beyond the stage. That’s when Poetic RNB naturally evolved into a music and poetry agency.

We’ve expanded into weekly R&B nights, Live streaming content, exclusive Patreon content, and a full creative pipeline for artists and we’re releasing our first agency album, “A Poetic RNB Christmas.” It’s a true milestone that represents how far the vision has grown.

I started with one project and one stage. I stayed consistent, served the community, and built each step with intention. That’s how Poetic RNB moved from an idea to a full-fledged creative agency.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Bennie Lee Williams III, known artistically as Poeticlee a poet, musician, creative director, and the founder of Poetic RNB, a music and poetry agency based in Winston-Salem. My creative identity sits at the intersection of lyricism, immersive creativity, and visual storytelling. Growing up in a family sign business gave me a deep foundation in branding and craftsmanship, while performing professionally since 2016 helped me understand the emotional, technical, and production sides of live performance. Those disciplines came together and shaped the leader, curator, and creative architect I am today.

Poetic RNB is built on one mission: to create an ecosystem where artists see themselves as brands and get paid like brands. I’ve promoted and paid over 100+ artists across the Triad and beyond, and my focus is always on helping talent develop real structure around their gifts. We provide artist coaching, production guidance, brand identity direction, original content, live performance opportunities, and agency-level support. Whether it’s a poet refining their voice or an R&B singer shaping their next era, we help artists elevate their creativity into something marketable, sustainable, and true to who they are.

What sets Poetic RNB apart is our commitment to intentionality and culture-building. Our events, shows, and projects including our first agency album, “A Poetic RNB Christmas” are crafted with soul, storytelling, and a clear vision of artist empowerment. This isn’t a quick-hit entertainment brand; it’s a movement rooted in community, quality, and long-term legacy. I’m most proud that artists come to Poetic RNB not just to perform, but to evolve. And what I want people to know is simple: we are here to amplify real talent, build opportunities that didn’t exist before, and continue proving that the Triad is home to world-class artistry.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the idea that I had to do everything by myself for it to be done right. Coming from years of performing, designing, curating shows, and building brands on my own, I got used to being the writer, producer, promoter, designer, director, and sometimes even the therapist in the room. That “I’ll handle it” mindset helped me survive early on, but it worked against me when Poetic RNB began growing into an actual ecosystem.

The backstory is this: as Poetic RNB events grew and more artists started trusting me with their development, I found myself carrying every detail from sound checks to branding to storytelling to production to managing personalities. I thought it was my responsibility to hold everything together because the vision was mine. But the bigger the vision became, the more I realized I was limiting the very thing I was trying to build.

Your vision expands when you stop gripping everything tightly and start trusting the ecosystem you’re building.

It’s made me a better leader, a better creator, and the agency is stronger because of it.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

My business wasn’t funded by a loan, an investor, or a sudden windfall. Poetic RNB was funded the same way a lot of creative visions are funded through grit, reinvesting every dollar I could, and leveraging the skills and businesses I’d already built long before Poetic RNB existed.

Before I ever curated an R&B and Poetry show, I was already running Bling Name Badges and By BennieLee, my sign and laser-engraving businesses. Those companies became the financial backbone for the early stages of Poetic RNB. I would design signs during the day, fulfill engraving orders, produce content for clients, and then pour that income straight into building this new ecosystem I believed in. Every flyer, sound setup, performer payment, camera upgrade, and marketing push came out of my pocket.

At the same time, I was working as a producer, which not only helped financially but also sharpened the creative and technical skills I needed to elevate the Poetic RNB experience. The earliest “capital” wasn’t just money it was skill, discipline, and the willingness to invest in myself.

Over time, I started forming partnerships that helped relieve some of the financial weight. We partnered with venues who believed in the vision, secured a CashApp partnership, and built relationships with vodka and beverage brands that supported our events. These collaborations didn’t happen overnight; they were the result of consistency, quality, and building trust in the brand.

But to be transparent, Poetic RNB did not make a real profit until year two. The first year was all reinvestment paying artists, improving the show, expanding production, and establishing our presence in the Triad. I wasn’t driven by quick returns; I was driven by building something sustainable and setting a standard that artists could benefit from long-term.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://poeticlee.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poeticlee/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepoeticlee/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-lee-williams-iii-65110562/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeticlee
• Other: Poetic RNB instagram – https://www.instagram.com/poeticrnb?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

  Poetic RNB YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@PoeticRnB

Image Credits

Photos by Eyemonea & JKW Photos