Taking a vacation as a community manager doesn’t have to create chaos—especially if you plan for it. In this video, I walk through the practical “before, during, and after” steps I use to take real time off while keeping a Mighty Networks (or any online community) running smoothly. My number one strategy is simple: pre-schedule posts so the regular rhythm continues even when I’m away. When that’s part of your normal workflow, even an unexpected absence becomes much easier to handle. I also talk about rescheduling any live sessions you’d normally lead, and deciding ahead of time whether you’ll monitor urgent issues. Sometimes I’ll bring my phone and do a light-touch check-in through the Mighty Networks app—quick responses for anything urgent, then a deeper follow-up when I’m back. The big piece here is setting member expectations: tell people what’s happening so they know what to expect. Finally, I share how I ease back in—like adjusting my first day back to focus on notifications without getting pulled into appointments. And I’ll say it plainly: you don’t need to be tied to your community 24/7. I took two weeks off running my community solo, and not only did it not fall apart, some conversations were better because I wasn’t jumping in too soon.