William Michael Barbee is a native of Newark, New Jersey, and was educated in the Newark Public School System. He attended Arts High School: America’s First High School of Performing Arts, majoring in Fine Art; Jersey City State College, majoring in Biology with a minor in Fine Arts; Rutgers University, graduating with a Degree in Business Management; McAllister/American Academy of Mortuary Science, graduating with a Diploma in Mortuary Science and Funeral Services; and graduated Pillar College with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling with a concentration on Marriage and Family Counseling.

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Despite William Michael’s love for learning and after a successful 38-year career as a serial entrepreneur, he reflects on his childhood that was filled with love, tragedies, and trauma. In the summer of 1980, he and his family were the victims of an arson fire that resulted in the death of two of their loved ones. The fire left the Barbee family bruised, penniless, and emotionally scarred. They were homeless for nearly two years. William Michael entered high school as a homeless teen while living in a welfare motel. By 1989, William Michael became the victim of a carjacking and other life-altering events. The toll of other catastrophic trials led William Michael on a downward spiral. A few months after the carjacking, Barbee began therapy for extreme depression and anxiety.