Ashleigh Gentle is now the "CEO of her own company" and business is booming.
The two-time Olympic triathlete has traded short-course racing on the World Triathlon Series for the lucrative, athlete-owned Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) tour and enjoyed immediate success.
Two $US100,000 winner's cheques and one second place from three events have quickly proved her mettle over the longer half-ironman distance, Gentle enjoying the freedom to pick and choose her race schedule after a career spent on the "hamster wheel".
Set to be married next month, Gentle has skipped the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Utah to instead chase a ninth Noosa Triathlon crown on Sunday.
Victory would be Gentle's eighth straight at the popular event and provide the perfect segue to her hen's party, handily planned for Noosa next week.
"It went a lot better than I thought it would," Gentle told AAP on Friday of her move away from Olympic distance racing.
"As soon as you make that switch you're the CEO of your own company.
"It was nerve-wracking at times ... I've always had that support from the federation, knowing they'll help with camps, travelling and racing.
"I'm proud of (my short-course career) but it's done with, and now you work it out by yourself."
Gentle came from behind to claim an emotional 2021 title that followed a disappointing Tokyo Olympics - where she was lapped on the bike leg and ushered off course - that saw her hit "rock bottom".
In a far better head space a year later, the 31-year-old said missing the 70.3 World Championship was an easy call.
"I did my first world championships when I was 16," she said.
"I've been on that hamster wheel for so long; it's really liberating to be like, 'What do I want to do?', and just do it.
"And it's helped me in my performance; that freedom and being my own boss suits me really well.
"I'll finish the race and some friends and family will be here and we'll roll straight into my hen's week.
"It'll be a ridiculous two weeks."
In the men's race, the formidable Jake Birtwhistle has overcome a calf injury and arrived hungry to add a third Noosa crown.
But he will have to beat defending champion Luke Willian, who exploited Birtwhistle's absence last year to claim a maiden title.
Max Neumann will back up after his fourth on debut at the recent Ironman World Championship in Kona.
