When Janisa Brown (she/her) returned to Moss Adams, she came up with an idea—cover the cost of a vacation with her daughter via the firm’s recognition program. She made a goal to celebrate Cali Ann’s third birthday at Disneyland Park, and in September 2023, she did just that.
Janisa Brown, an HR specialist in northern California, returned to Moss Adams in January 2022 after five years away, and she learned of the All-In Recognition Program during onboarding. Launched in 2020, the All-In Recognition Program is an internal platform to celebrate professional accomplishments. Moss Adams team members can award one another All-In points, and those points can be redeemed for rewards.
“I knew I wanted to travel, so I went into the system and found gift cards for hotels and airlines,” Janisa said. “I decided to supplement a Disneyland gift card from my friend with gift cards redeemed through All-In. Then, I challenged myself to use All-In to cover all the costs.”
Rather than telling her team about her travel goals, Janisa focused on earning her All-In recognition through hard work with coworkers and as an active member of the Black business resource group (BRG).
By August 2023, colleagues recognized her with thousands of All-In points that she redeemed for flights, ground transportation, lodging, and theme park entertainment. Nearly all of Janisa’s vacation was covered through her All-In recognition.
“When I finally told them about my plans, my team was so supportive,” Janisa said. “My career advisor made it a point to remind me I earned the vacation because of my hard work. Being acknowledged for what I was doing and having that turn into this opportunity for my daughter meant a lot to me.”
The three-day vacation for Cali Ann’s third birthday included a visit to all attractions at Disneyland Park, a character dinner, and an afternoon at their hotel water park—all paid with Janisa’s gift cards.
“Cali Ann wasn’t a fan of the characters at first,” Janisa laughed. “They came by our table to engage during dinner, but she wasn’t feeling it. By the end, she warmed up to the characters and was excited to see them walking around the park.”
Janisa’s favorite part of the vacation was the Halloween-themed character parade that included floats inspired by the movie Coco.
“My mom passed away 11 years ago,” Janisa said. “The skeletons represented people of the past, and I felt connected to her. I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for my mother. She’s the reason I made it beyond my circumstances to celebrate my daughter’s birthday at Disneyland.”
Their vacation included breakfast at a beach near the Pacific Ocean, a first for Cali Ann. Janisa says introducing her young daughter to new experiences was unforgettable, and she’s grateful to her colleagues for the opportunity.
“I can still hear the sound of the ocean, and you don’t get that where I’m from,” Janisa said. “My daughter had her first flight and her first trip to the ocean. It’s more than All-In— I’ve had so many great opportunities at Moss Adams. I feel lucky to work with such great people and appreciate it more than I can say.”
At Moss Adams, we believe in the power of possible to empower our clients and people to pursue success however they define it. Explore stories about our professionals, including their personal achievements, at our Beyond the Desk page.
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