JJ Bell & Cindy Steffensmeier: Teaming Up to Create Experiences That Excite
Travel has always been part of JJ Bell's life. As grandson of well-known industry leader Moostash Joe, he's never second guessed the value of a good trip, whether it was helping plan the family's trip to Disney in 1999 or their adventures to places like the Black Hills, Colorado and Minnesota.
He cites his first trip to Europe as a pivotal moment.
"I remember flying into Paris, riding the subway into the city, and coming out right next to the Paris Opera House ... it was everything you think Paris is, and a feeling I'll never forget," said JJ, who went on to work as a tour guide and director during his time at Midland University. "I fell in love with giving people the same feeling I got in Paris."
Alternatively, Cindy Steffensmeier (JJ's aunt), got her entrepreneurial start in the restaurant business with her husband before shifting to a career in finance, and later, to tour and travel management. Cindy has always enjoyed dreaming up experiences and developing great relationships with her customers.
"One day my dad—who's had a travel agency for 50 years—calls me and says, 'I want you to come work for me. I'll give you a week to decide.' So, naturally, I went," Cindy recalled. "And six years later, JJ joined in, too."
Soon, the aunt and nephew pair were inspired to start their own travel business.
Together, with a dream and $100, JJ and Cindy put their prior experience, skills and passion for travel together to found Nebraska-based Excite Experiences from the ground up in 2012. They've since built a number of itineraries that feel like the perfect blend of a tour and a vacation, despite a slow start and roadblocks from the COVID-19 pandemic—a time which actually allowed Cindy and JJ to retool some processes and demonstrate their commitment to their clients. They've since said "good-bye" to the days of van-sized tour groups and "hello" to consistent bus-sized groups.
From Mackinac Island to Santorini to their blockbuster "All the Small States" tour of New England, Excite now has close to 100 public and private tours a year, with their sights set on continuing to scale and grow their offerings.
The genuine care and focus on the little things by JJ, Cindy and their team is truly what elevates Excite's travel experience for their groups. From the cookies (homemade by JJ's mom) which guests are given upon arrival to purposefully simple deposit policies, these are the details Cindy and JJ are proud to intentionally focus on.
"Our dream is making other people's travel dreams come true—and it's very cool to be putting that out into the universe," JJ said. "People are out there who want to travel ... or perhaps they want to start a tour company ... or just be in the travel industry in general! Either way, it can be magical. They should jump in."
FUN FACTS:
A quiet force, Cindy might not be the loudest voice in the room, but when push comes to shove, she'll say her piece—and probably make you laugh while doing so.
JJ enjoys cooking and approaches the hobby much like building a tour—putting all the different pieces together bit by bit to make something incredible.
Written by Sarah Suydam, Managing Editor for Groups Today.
This article originally appeared in the Jul/Aug '25 issue of Groups Today.
Photos courtesy of Excite Experiences.
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