If Taryn Terblanche’s favourite book is One Hundred Years of Solitude, it’s probably not because she’s keen on gloom – it’s because she understands the weird, wonderful truth that life isn’t neat. It’s chaotic, circular, occasionally absurd and somehow still full of laughter and love. Which makes it the perfect metaphor for a woman who has lived her whole life in Kimberley, grown up in a big, loud, “slightly crazy” family as the eldest of four, and then went on to raise four children of her own while building a legal career that depends on calm, clear thinking.

Taryn’s parents taught her two things that have served her well ever since. Work hard and never give up. Be yourself and don’t stress about other people’s opinions. Those are easy lines to say, but harder to live – until you meet someone like Taryn, who seems to treat them like a daily checklist (probably written somewhere between a school lunchbox and a CCMA bundle).

She studied her LLB through UNISA, which already requires stamina, but she didn’t do it in a quiet season of life. She did it while working full-time and raising four kids. In fact, she wrote her last exam when her son was three days old. That’s not just “time management” – that’s a minor superpower. It also explains why she’d like to improve two things about herself: Cooking (for the sake of her family’s taste buds) and slowing down (for the sake of her own sanity).

So why labour law? Partly because she’s always been drawn to it, and she genuinely enjoys working with people. Partly because she’s refreshingly honest. Bills and feeding a family are excellent motivators. And if you’ve ever been responsible for four small humans, you’ll know she probably developed dispute resolution skills long before she ever had the job title.

A friend tipped her off about a vacancy at CEO, and the rest clicked into place. Taryn loves that CEO treats members as individuals – whether they’re a small business trying to keep the lights on or a larger employer juggling constant legislative changes. She also values the team culture. It’s the kind of environment where you can reach out for help without feeling like you’re interrupting someone’s day, because everyone is pulling in the same direction. That matters in labour law, where today’s “quick question” can become tomorrow’s formal dispute if it isn’t handled with care.

Ask what the big threats are right now, and she’ll point to what most employers feel in their bones: The rules keep changing, the economy is tight and keeping a business running (and people paid) is not for the faint-hearted. That’s exactly why Taryn’s role matters. CEO helps employers navigate the complexity with integrity and professionalism, without making them feel like they’re just a number on a spreadsheet.

Her friends would describe her as sarcastic, opinionated and slightly weird (in the best way) yet warm-hearted and always willing to help. If you need to talk, she’s there, possibly with a bottle of wine and a box of tissues, because she’s practical like that. She’s also the sort of person who would never admit lip balm is her actual emotional support item, but she does apply it about a hundred times a day, so we can all draw our own conclusions.

In the long run, Taryn isn’t chasing a dramatic, glossy “big dream”. Her vision is contentment. Work satisfaction. Watching her children grow into the people she already believes they’ll be. A braai with friends, a good book, her husband and kids close by and – if we’re being realistic – sushi. Lots of sushi.

And maybe that’s the point. Like her favourite novel, Taryn’s story isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up, again and again, through the noise and the deadlines and the unexpected plot twists – building a life that feels full, meaningful and (despite everything) richly her own.