Biology Degree Launches Career As Nutritional Entrepreneur

Lourdes Diaz-McAgy ’99 has always been in tune with society’s trends.

After realizing the world is moving in the direction of conscious well-being, she was inspired to help people look and feel their best. Today, Diaz-McAgy is the chief executive officer of Total Nutrition Technology, a nutrition focused company that private labels products for brands across the nation.

Diaz-McAgy began at UCF as a biology major and specialized in organic chemistry. Her experience with the nutritional sciences eventually landed her a job post-graduation at Optimum Nutrition in Chicago.

“I realized how much I loved the nutritional side of science while I was out in Chicago, but what really drew me in was the business of it all. It was then that I realized I wanted to start my own company, so I moved back to Orlando and Total Nutrition was born,” said Diaz-McAgy.

The company started with one employee and a whole lot of will power. Today Total Nutrition Technology employs over 80 people and is found in retailers across the country, including Publix.

“Tropical Smoothie has our products in over 800 stores around the country,” said Diaz-McAgy. “We also private label for many well-known brands, including Kraft; the growth has been enormous.”

Total Nutrition provides consumers with health, wellness and performance products that improve their life from the inside out. This includes different types of supplements and formulas produced using Total Nutrition’s unique technology.

“We do a lot of private-label smoothie companies, different kinds of food and pill-based supplements,” said Diaz-McAgy. “We’ve also started making the equipment to manufacture Gudpds — a revolutionary single-serve pod nutritional drink system.”

Most importantly, Diaz-McAgy emphasizes slow and controlled growth. By taking things one day at a time, Total Nutrition can grow sustainably and steadily; some of that growth includes a new warehouse distribution fulfillment center for TNT’s multiple products. Still, TNT earned a spot on Inc.’s 5000 fastest growing companies in the U.S. for the past two years.

“I am a risk taker. I am not a gambler,” said Diaz-McAgy. “I think that with this approach, Total Nutrition will continue to flourish as a company. Every day we are reaching more and more people, and the feedback has been fantastic. I feel really good about what we are doing here.”