A CEO and rodeo queen
Maxxum CEO Anita Lind Janssen saddles up in her off hours.
(FORTUNE Small Business) -- Her daily life is all about managing risk, but when Anita Lind Janssen isn't at her desk, she likes to take a few chances. So she picked up the sport of cutting and became a real-life cowgirl.
"It's fast action, big adrenaline, sudden stops," Janssen says of her obsession, which involves driving a horse into a herd of cattle and separating one cow from the rest. "I tend to seek experiences that put me in a position of being a beginner and being able to learn again."
As the CEO of Maxxum, based in Rush City, Minn., Janssen handles asset management for large firms in the middle of transitions. To escape stress and find clarity, she turns to the saddle.
"It's always interesting to me how many lessons you learn about communication and life in general on the back of a horse," says Janssen, 39, who competed in the National Cutting Horse Association's championships last week. 
Features-
During Lance's glory years, cycling's premier event was a publicity bonanza. Now, it's a trickier marketing challenge. more -
Should you use carrots - and sticks - to nudge your employees toward better health? more -
An entrepreneur says he's found an endless source of cheap energy. Trouble is, it violates the laws of quantum physics. more -
Six are dead in Kentucky. Should business owners have the right to ban guns from the workplace? more -
These five next-generation green vehicles will be faster, more powerful - and cheaper. more -
A small U.S. tour business sends animal lovers into the bush to help threatened species. more
We checked in with gourmet retailers for the rundown on the world's most expensive culinary indulgences. more
Fuel mileage is front and center as Chevy's muscle car gets a makeover for the "green" generation. more
Plentiful jobs, excellent schools, affordable housing - America's best small cities have all that and more. more
More Small Business
