Knightly News

“You are more than success.” Ben Washer ’97, Co-Founder/ CEO Reach Records

Episcopal grad Ben Washer ’97 returned to campus as this year’s featured speaker for the Lindley Spaht Dodson Speaker Series. Not long after graduating from Episcopal, Washer co-founded Reach Records, an independent record label specializing in Christian hip-hop. Now the CEO, Washer’s creative endeavor has more than six million albums sold, two Grammy awards, 18 Dover awards, eight Gold Records and one Platinum Record. Washer and Reach Records Co-Founder Lecrae have achieved tremendous success with a label unlike any other.

Defining Success

As an Episcopal student, Washer was a member of the Knights basketball team. He also competed in cross country and track & field. He says Episcopal prepared him to think critically and provided him the confidence and ability to network with others. Even after years away, Washer still relates to today’s students and remembers being surrounded by success and the pressure he felt because of it. “I wondered if I could measure up to the environment I was in,” he recalled. Now, after establishing Reach Records, his definition of achievement has changed considerably. “Succes is held out in front of us like it’s life’s ultimate prize,” he told students. “But there’s a bigger and deeper vision than just trying to be successful. Focus on who you are. You are more than success.”

Washer’s outlook on success and life was defined by a profound moment during his freshman year at Auburn University. The summer after high school graduation, Washer contemplated God’s existence and prayed for confirmation that God was there. He discussed this with his new dormitory roommates, and they encouraged him to pray. Ben says a switch flipped. “I gave my life to Christ, and my whole life radically altered,” he advised. “I really became a new person. Sunsets were more beautiful, and friendships were deeper.”

Honoring God through Music

Washer dug deeper into his faith and enrolled in a Bible course in Texas. By chance, his eventual business partner, Lecrae, sat next to him, and the two volunteered together and became friends. “We had a heart for God’s word and a desire to serve people,” says Washer. At the time, Washer also volunteered at a Christian summer camp in Missouri, where he was in charge of entertainment. It was challenging to find Christian rap, and Washer spent hours scouring the internet for music that would inspire the campers. “That was a tiny start for me in the music industry,” he told students.

From that tiny start, Reach Records was eventually realized. Washer advised students that it wasn’t always easy, and there were “seasons of discouragement and seasons of excitement.” He remembers organizing a makeshift concert in the Gardere area, promoting artists on MySpace, and doing everything from web design and accounting to marketing and music editing. “Don’t be afraid of humble beginnings,” he said. “I had zero clue what I was going to do when I was older. You don’t always have it all figured out.”

With Reach Records, Washer found a way to combine his love for God with his love for music. “We honor God and make him famous instead of making us famous,” he said regarding the label. “It’s exciting to see God use the music we make.” With a mission to “change the way people see the world,” Washer and Lecrae plan to add Latin American and Afrobeats artists to expand into new genres and provide more opportunities to reach those who need the music and the message.

The Power of Alumni Stories

Having Washer back on campus as a speaker and mentor was a tremendous benefit for students. He spent three hours with today’s Knights because of the support of the Spaht family through the Lindley Spaht Dodson Speaker Series. He spoke during the larger Upper School Assembly and in smaller settings with Middle and Upper School entrepreneurship and creative writing students. Washer was also comfortable chatting with third, fourth and fifth grade students and offered helpful advice and genuine praise to students who transformed the Lower School morning prayer into hip-hop verse.

For the second consecutive year, the Lindley Spaht Dodson Speaker Series has provided students with a meaningful learning experience. Alumni Relations Coordinator Lindsay Turner ’97 says it is always powerful for alumni to spend time with current students and share their stories. “Our students and community are so fortunate to have such a tremendous opportunity, and the ripple effects will be forever felt,” she says.

Please join us in thanking Ben for sharing his time with current Knights and the Spaht family for keeping Lindley’s legacy alive through the Lindley Spaht Dodson Speaker Series.

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