Jill Baughan

Jill Baughan, an author and speaker who helps people unleash the power of play in their lives, was born in Bluffton, Indiana, where she learned to laugh and throw up at the same time while riding the Tilt-A-Whirl at the annual Bluffton Street Fair. Early on in life she was diagnosed with an acute form of adultaphobia (fear of entering the Land of Responsible Adulthood). This manifested itself most poignantly when, for many years, she went kicking and screaming from one stage of life to the next, ever concerned that now she would have to start behaving like a grownup.

Alas, adulthood did catch up with Jill, and she is no stranger to painful experiences, such as the sudden death of her father when she was ten, and a long battle with infertility as an adult. Her first book, A Hope Deferred: A Couple's Guide to Coping with Infertility chronicled her journey, and offered suggestions for couples traveling the same difficult road. Even though the challenges of life have changed her, however, her innate wildness remains unshaken.

Jill's latest book, Born To Be Wild: Rediscover the Freedom of Fun, helps men and women unleash that power of play in their own lives, insisting that she is not the only one with this "gift." Everyone is a fun person, she says—even if you're feeling depressed or overwhelmed or angry—mainly because the God who made you is also the Creator of fun. Her message gives you a new ability to:

As a frequent speaker, Jill's message has touched hundreds of people at retreats, civic organizations, church groups, women's ministries and businesses. Leaders look to Jill as someone who can inspire their audiences with humor, depth and wisdom.

Until she can actually make a living by playing around, Jill will continue to be an adjunct English instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University. She also serves on the worship ministry team at Cool Spring Baptist Church. Jill and her husband, Ben, have an adult daughter, Jamie, and live just outside of Richmond, Virginia.