The Neuro Drinks Business Model

Scott Laporta is an expert in the natural and functional beverage industries who managed a product line that generated over $825 million in annual revenue while president of Bolthouse Farms. Scott Laporta now applies his business and marketing expertise as the president of Neuro Brands, the maker of Neuro Drinks.

A California based firm, Neuro Brands was founded in 2009 and currently offers seven different Neuro Drinks that each provide different functional health benefits. Recently, Mr. Laporta discussed the firm’s business practices and how they have contributed to its growth in an interview with Business View Magazine. 

A core component of the Neuro Drinks business model is the constant innovation and development of products that deliver immediate benefits. When creating new drinks, the firm focuses on areas where consumer needs are going unmet. Structurally, the majority of Neuro’s employees focus on sales, while distribution is handled through a national distributor. This focus on sales complements the firm's retail efforts which include the placement of product directly in front of consumers and the distribution of circulars and mail advertisements. In addition, Neuro utilizes social media and e-commerce platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon to reach additional market segments.

Live Naturally Features Neuro Brands’ Healthier Functional Beverages

A respected Southern California entrepreneur, Scott LaPorta previously served as an executive at Bolthouse Farms, Levi’s, Park Place Entertainment, Hilton, and Marriott where he built a strong track record in turnarounds, IPOs, and acquisitions. Since early 2017, Scott LaPorta has guided Neuro Brands, a premier healthier functional beverage company, as president. The company inhabits several rapidly expanding categories, including sleep, relaxation, energy, and digestive health. 

The summer 2017 issue of Live Naturally featured Neuro products in an article titled “Smart Sips,” which highlighted functional drinks that go beyond simple hydration and energy in the benefits they provide. Recommended for its low-sugar, low-calorie commitment, the Neuro Brand lineup is also distinguished by its use of natural extracts to provide flavoring. 

The article singled out white raspberry-flavored Bliss, which promotes relaxation, and mellow mango-flavored Sleep, which contains the naturally derived ingredient melatonin. Lychee-flavored Trim is ideal for those seeking a boost that aligns with weight management goals, while citrus-flavored Daily provides immune support. 

The latter drink is the only one in the lineup that does not contain L-Theanine, which is found in green tea and addresses high blood pressure and anxiety. Instead, Daily includes aloe vera and essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc.

The Neapolitan Pizza

Currently the president of Neuro Drinks, Scott LaPorta uses his extensive CPG experience and collaborative leadership skills to develop and execute this beverage company's growth initiatives. In addition to his professional endeavors, Scott LaPorta enjoys cooking Italian cuisine. 

When one thinks of their favorite Italian dish, pizza often tops the list. The pizza of Italy however, looks much different than what most Americans have delivered to their homes for birthday parties and family gatherings. True Italian pizza originated in Naples, Italy, a coastal town with a large number of working poor. These citizens, in need of an inexpensive dish that could be eaten quickly, developed what eventually became known as Neapolitan pizza.

The pizzas originally consisted of flatbreads that were topped with tomatoes, cheese, olive, oil, anchovies, and garlic. The recipe changed little over the years, but the dish became more and more popular with visitors to the area. Wealthy visitors even started seeking out the poorer parts of town in order to sample Neapolitan pizza. One notable visitor was Queen Margherita who was especially taken with the dish that eventually became known as the Margherita pizza. With its tomatoes, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella, the pizza reflected the colors of Italy’s flag.

When trying to discern if a pizza is cooked in true Neapolitan style, a discerning diner will notice fresh ingredients and a thin crust with a small amount of charring around the top edges. True Neapolitan pizzas are usually about ten to 12 inches in diameter and are cooked at extremely high temperatures in a stone oven over a wood fire for about 90 seconds. 

Today, the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana certifies pizzerias that serve true, authentic Neapolitan pizzas. In order to be certified, the establishment must pass a stringent set of criteria.

Three Crucial Biographies of United States Presidents

As the former president of Bolthouse Farms, Scott Laporta led a fresh vegetable and premium refrigerated beverage and salad dressing business with annual sales of more than $800 million. Outside of Scott Laporta’s professional life, he enjoys reading and is particularly fond of presidential biographies. 

Over the decades, biographies detailing the lives of former presidents have become standard fare for history and politics buffs alike, but here are three crucial offerings every American should consider reading. 

1. Thomas Jefferson & Sally Hemings: An American Controversy - This biographical argument, penned by Annette Gordon-Reed, persuasively plead the case for the third president fathering multiple children with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings. The book threw historians and Jefferson scholars for a loop, and its assertions were later backed up by DNA evidence, confirming that Hemings’ descendants were, in fact, fathered by Thomas Jefferson. 

2. Lincoln - There are so many Lincoln biographies written to this day that awards exist specifically to honor authors who write about this pivotal president. Harvard historian David Herbert Donald’s “Lincoln” sets itself apart from the pack by aiming to demythologize the 16th president, examining his stumbles and failures as much as his notable successes. 

3. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt - The first of Edmund Morris’ three-part biography of Theodore Roosevelt is considered by the New York Times to be “one of the best biographies of the 20th century.” In its official review of the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, the reviewer praises it as a “sweeping narrative” and “shrewd examination” of the 26th president. The book’s influence was so great that President Reagan asked Edmund Morris to write his own biography.