We recently connected with Denise Simmons and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Denise, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
Nine years ago, I was sitting in my cubicle having a moment. I was frustrated, stressed, and honestly embarrassed that I had to train my own boss — who later became the biggest micromanager ever. She wanted to know when I went to the restroom and even made me email her about it. I felt like I was in jail.
Here I was, with two degrees, working as an HR Specialist for the government, yet I was miserable. My “light supervision” turned into her standing behind me watching me work, and my anxiety was through the roof. I remember thinking, this cannot be what the rest of my life looks like.
One day, I hit my point. I didn’t have a detailed plan, but I knew one thing for sure: corporate America wasn’t for me. I put in my two weeks and called my dad. He told me, “Come home, regroup, and come up with a plan.” So I moved in with him.
Those final two weeks at work were filled with doubts — because bills don’t care about your dreams, lol — but I also had something brewing. I had a blog at the time, Wifey N Training, and it had grown to over 500k fans. The girls in my online community kept asking for a group trip. I had no experience and had only been to Cancun and Canada, but I said yes.
A week after leaving my job, I launched my first group trip: a cruise to the Bahamas with 10 girls. I was so proud… but I didn’t make a single penny. In fact, the girl I teamed up with blocked my number two weeks after we got back — a tough but necessary lesson.
I tried again. This time Jamaica — 65 people! Still no profit. I didn’t yet know how to scale. Around the same time, I started hosting game nights and adult field days in the DC area. I didn’t have industry experience, but I kept trying, kept learning, and kept showing up.
In 2018, I teamed up with another travel group and met the woman who is now my business partner, Lakethia. She’s a nurse, and with my HR background, we came up with the perfect name: Call In Sick Getaways.
Fast-forward to today — six years later — we’ve built a six-figure travel brand. I’ve traveled the world, curated unforgettable experiences, and built a community that truly feels like family. My dad didn’t charge me rent for two whole years, and this past September, I got to fly him to South Africa with one of my groups. Watching him smile and walk with elephants reminded me exactly why quitting my “good government job” was worth every doubt and every risk.
Five years ago, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and while I’ve learned to manage it, I constantly thank God that I took that leap. I now have the freedom to work from home, take care of myself, and still do what I love — creating experiences that help people see the world.
That one bold decision changed everything. And it led me right to my purpose.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m Neecee, the co-founder of Call In Sick Getaways, a travel and events brand built for working adults who want to escape the stress of everyday life and actually enjoy the world. I like to say I help people call in sick to everything that drains them — and say yes to joy, adventure, and community.
My journey into the travel and events industry wasn’t traditional at all. I didn’t grow up traveling internationally or studying tourism. I actually started as an HR Specialist in the government. But while I was working that job, I built an online community of over half a million women through my blog, Wifey N Training. They were the ones who pushed me into group travel. They wanted to meet up, take trips, and create memories together — so I took a risk and gave it a try.
My first group trip had 10 girls. My second had 65. I didn’t know anything about scaling, profit margins, contracts, or vendor relationships — but I had heart, consistency, and an ability to bring people together. Over the years, I turned those early lessons into a real business. In 2018, I teamed up with my now business partner, Lakethia Bowens and together we launched Call In Sick Getaways.
Today, we’ve built a six-figure travel brand that hosts:
4–5 international group trips every year
Two major annual events — Cousins Weekend and Black Boat Weekend
A variety of meetups and experiences across the U.S.
We’ve taken hundreds of travelers around the world — Jamaica, Dubai, Thailand, South Africa, Italy, Colombia, Greece, and more. What I’m most proud of is that we’ve created a community where strangers show up solo and leave as “cousins.” That’s something money can’t buy.
What we offer:
Curated international group trips
Large-scale social events (hundreds of attendees)
Local meetups with luxury vibes
Travel coordination, staff support, and full itineraries
A community that feels like family
The problems we solve:
Most working adults don’t have time to plan a vacation — flights, hotels, itineraries, excursions, transportation… it’s a lot. We make it effortless. Travelers book with us, show up, and everything is already handled. They don’t have to stress, research, or worry about safety. And for many travelers, especially solo travelers, having a trusted group is everything.
What sets us apart:
Our customer service — people know we truly care.
Our community — we’re not just selling trips; we’re creating connections.
Our creativity — from themed parties to adult field day to Black Boat Weekend, we bring fun in a way that feels fresh and nostalgic.
Our vibe — we attract professional, down-to-earth adults who just want to travel, have a good time, and be around good energy.
What I want people to know:
I built this brand from a cubicle, from scratch, with no travel industry background — just determination and genuine love for people. I’m proud of how far we’ve come, but I’m even more proud of the impact: helping people see the world, heal, rest, party, connect, and experience something new.
Whether it’s a luxury trip to Italy, a weekend in Cartagena, Cousins Weekend in Texas, or a big boat party in Austin — my goal will always be the same: create unforgettable experiences that help people live life fully.
How’d you meet your business partner?
I had just finished hosting a trip to Jamaica and was already planning my next one to Dubai when one of my guests asked if I wanted to join the travel company he was starting. At that point, I was still learning everything about business, partnerships, and group travel. I felt overwhelmed trying to do everything on my own, so I said yes — thinking it would lighten the load. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. That partnership didn’t last long, but honestly, it ended up being one of the best things to ever happen to me.
Because through that experience… I met my real business partner, Lakethia.
While prepping for Dubai, I got a message from another woman saying she had a group of 50 people who wanted to join our trip. I already had 65 travelers signed up myself, so I was like, yassss, another woman out here doing her thing! I loved her energy immediately.
After Dubai, I asked her if she wanted to team up and do a cabin trip together. We launched it — and it sold out 120 spots in one day. That’s when I knew we had something special.
Not long after, both of us got fired from that original travel group (lol), but honestly, it was the blessing we needed. Losing that partnership led us straight to each other, and together we built Call In Sick Getaways, which has now grown into a six-figure business with international trips, major annual events, and a family-like community.
Sometimes the wrong door has to close for you to meet the right person — and that’s exactly how I met my cofounder.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
One of the biggest pivots I’ve ever had to make happened during a period when life and business collided in a way that forced me to slow down and shift everything.
A few years into building Call In Sick Getaways, right when our trips were getting bigger and our community was growing fast, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Up until then, I was in my “I can do everything” era — hosting events, planning multiple international trips at once, running my Airbnb business too, and trying to show up for everyone. My schedule was nonstop.
But my body told me I couldn’t keep running at that pace.
I had to pivot not only in business, but in how I lived my everyday life. I shifted from doing everything myself to actually building a team. I created better systems, automated parts of the business, hired help, and learned the power of delegating — something I was terrible at in the beginning.
I also had to pivot my mindset. Instead of pushing myself until I crashed, I had to learn balance, rest, and sustainable growth. We built Call In Sick Getaways in a way that allowed me to work from home, travel when I felt well, and take care of my health without the guilt of feeling like I was “falling behind.”
That pivot turned out to be one of the best things for my business. By stepping back, slowing down, and restructuring, CIS grew even faster. I showed up as a better leader, a better planner, and a better creator because I wasn’t operating from exhaustion anymore.
The diagnosis scared me, but it also forced me to redesign my life and business in a way that supports my wellbeing. That pivot taught me that slowing down doesn’t mean stopping — it means building smarter. I’m not able to make every trip and that’s okay.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.callinsickgetaways.com
- Instagram: @neeceesimmons
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neeceesimmons
- Other: TikTok @neeceesimmons
IG callinsickgetaways
Facebook Call In Sick Getaways (we have a group as well)
Image Credits
The Safari picture dannydworks