Gianna Scott
Gianna Scott Bio Gianna Scott, Business Overlord at Flamingo Ink is a lifelong creative who believes good design, strong relationships, and doing things the right way still matter. Gianna Scott’s career began in 1998 with her first official “grown-up job” at Cargill Meat Solutions (now Cargill Protein), where she quickly learned that showing up, figuring things out, and being dependable opens doors. She started as an Administrative Assistant in Food Safety, transitioned into Marketing, earned a promotion to Marketing Coordinator, and eventually landed in Recruiting—proving she could organize people, processes, and priorities. Like many capable professionals, she was laid off in 2008 during the Great Recession (excellent timing, really). Thanks to Cargill’s tuition reimbursement program—and a bit of determination—Gianna earned her Associate of Liberal Science degree with honors in 2008. In 2006, while still working full-time, Gianna launched her first business, The Burning Image LLC. What began as a photography venture evolved as clients kept asking, “Do you also do…?” She added graphic design, and—reluctantly—web development, realizing she liked “fixing” things for her customers. In 2010, she opened her first physical location at 816 W. 13th Street in Riverside, officially joining the ranks of small business owners who learn everything the hard way. During her time owning The Burning Image, Gianna balanced entrepreneurship with several part-time roles, including Graphic Design and Production at PostNet and later Copy Express. She also returned to Cargill for a short stint of two years. After a major life shift and divorce, her business transitioned to a home-based operation—further sharpening her adaptability, resilience, and appreciation for sweatpants and fuzzy bunny slippers. Gianna found a professional home at Copy Express and genuinely enjoyed her work—until the business was sold and things began unraveling. Within six months, the company was on credit holds and operational stability disappeared. It was during this period that she had a defining thought: Maybe I should do this myself. Surely, I can do it better. In February 2018, after the new owner of Copy Express passed away unexpectedly and a paycheck bounced, Gianna took a leap. In just six weeks, she rebranded her business, secured a location, acquired equipment, hired a team member, and opened Flamingo Ink LLC. The business grew rapidly, nearly doubling sales in its first year. While she expected Copy Express to close, it continued operating until 2022—when it went up for sale. Flamingo Ink ultimately purchased its assets, a full-circle moment that felt both surreal and deeply earned. Today, Gianna brings decades of experience in marketing, design, production, operations, and leadership—along with a smei-calm, capable approach forged by real-world challenges. She believes in doing things right, treating people well, and learning as you go (preferably without payroll surprises).
Appears in 1 Episode
Memories of Butler
In this episode of Bear Tracks, host Hayley Hobbs is joined by Gianna Scott, a 2008 graduate of Butler Community College and a small business owner. Gianna shares her ...
