Meet Josephus Iii

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Josephus Iii. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Josephus, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Purpose is a funny thing, it’s never quite what you think it is. I can’t really say that I found my purpose. I would feel more confident in saying it found me. For so long I was focused on doing what the world said I was supposed to do to find success. Seldom do people say find what brings you joy or a place where you matter. So I was focused on going to school, getting an education, so I could find a good job and by good, I mean one that pays a lot of money. Instead, my purpose found me in the midst of denial and tribulation and what I thought was failure. An engineer by education, but I had been writing poetry since high school and attending open mics in college, I had begun to hone my craft. I never thought it could become a job or a career and definitely not my purpose. After I stepped off stage one night at a local open mic, I was offered the opportunity to perform at a local church and asked how much I charged. In that moment a light bulb went off, now I admit it wasn’t very bright, but the idea that someone would pay me to perform had never really entered my mind. That was the first of many doors I began to walk through. Not chance or beat down, but that were opened and connected and fulfilling. So I guess my purpose had been present in my life for quite some time, I just never took notice or nurtured it into reality.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My business and brand is one fused with art and education. The art spoken word has so many connections from building community through my open mic, The Poetry Cafe for the past 15years, to inspiring youth voice or training teachers and creating spaces for effective communication. The art of communication is underestimated, but people pay thousands of dollars to be inspired by motivational speakers. Tithes every Sunday to their pastors to make them feel closer to GOD. It’s part of every English class we have ever taken and plays out on stages and movie screens and our favorite songs. Poetry is Life… The Poetry Cafe is a monthly open mic, it also doubles as a radio show and is distributed by American Public Media where 49 stations across the country recently aired the show. It’s been featured on Amazon Prime as a TV show and will be moving to a podcast format by the end of the year. As Greensboro, NC’s 1st Poet Laureate, I am always looking for more ways to bring poetry to the people. As Director of The Poetry Project, we focus on K-12 students as we use spoken word poetry to increase literacy and comprehension skills. We created a poetry field trip that allows students to interact with poetry off the page and on the stage, backed by live music, but still connects to and reinforces standard core curriculum. We believe in education through correlation. The Poetry Cafe also tours college and university campuses to inspire youth voice, art and community building. This year I am also an Artist in Residence at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro with the African American Diaspora Studies Department. So my purpose and this artform continues to open doors and make connections I never dreamed of. Your gift will make room for you is an understatement.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. I think patience is an important part of the journey. Sometimes we are in such a rush and forget that life is a journey not a destination.

2. Every perceived obstacle is preparing you for the next level of success. People got to the gym to get stronger; to literally lift weights and they understand the assignment, but in life seldom make the same connection and reference. Perception is so important to success.

3. Learning that in order to get something different, you must do something different. People have the tendency of doing the same thing over and over again and wondering why they are getting the same results. Learn to be flexible, the goal does not have to change, but how you get there may several times.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

This is the season of collaboration. You can only go so far alone. I am a writer, so I am seeking a publisher or an agent. I am a touring artist, so I would love a booking agent. I have an educational brand and I am working on a staff to oversee that portion of the business as it grows, so I can focus on creating the art that drives that brand. Sponsors, radio and television are also on my list as the brand has touched all those spaces, but attempting to do them all at once alone is near impossible, but we are still moving in those spaces. The opportunities are limitless, and I am always open to a conversation to expand the brand and reach new audiences.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.JosephusIII.com
• Instagram: @JosephusIII, @thepoetrycafe_
• Facebook: Josephus.i.thompson
• Linkedin: Josephus Thompson III
• Twitter: @JosephusIII, @thepoetrycafe_
• Youtube: @JosephusIII
• Other: Patreon: @thepoetrycafe_
  TikTok:@thepoetrycafe_

Image Credits

Miles Darden