Oscar Manguy
From guiding expeditions in Mexico to capturing adventure for a living
Oscar Manguy, founder of 360 North, moved to Finland in 2019. “It marked a big turning point in both my personal and professional life,” he remarked. Having moved from Mexico, the place he had built his entire career and life, he had embarked on a completely new journey abroad. Oscar currently lives in Savonlinna. “It’s a beautiful city surrounded by nature,” he said, mentioning that it was in stark contrast to where he used to live.
Before his move, Oscar worked as an expedition guide and in media, capturing photographs of outdoor adventures and traveling far and wide to tell visual stories about remote places.
Like many others before moving abroad, Oscar had his worries. “Will there be culture shock? What about the language barrier?” he had asked himself, acknowledging that with the new environment came uncertainty. Adapting would take time and effort.
Photography by 360 North. Northern lights in Lapland.
While searching for opportunities in Finland, he came across the Startup Refugees Business Programme online. “It was actually the first option that came up,” he recalled. “It caught my attention because it seemed like a practical way to understand how to start and run a business in Finland.” What ensued was instrumental in bringing 360 North to life. He found the one-on-one mentoring and the in-class coaching crucial for navigating local entrepreneurship.
An additional barrier Oscar faced as a newcomer entrepreneur was the COVID-19 pandemic. Interestingly, he chose to cite it as the main reason he decided to launch his company. “It forced me to rethink my situation,” he said. “Instead of waiting, I chose to adapt and build something new.” With the world at a standstill, he used this time to establish 360 North as a dedicated media and production company focusing on commercial adventure photography and videography.
Now, six years later, Oscar happily reports that his business is developing smoothly. “On a scale from 1 to 10, I would say it’s at an 8.5,” he responded to a question about his current situation. “It’s still developing, but things are definitely moving in the right direction,” he said, remarking that he is seeing consistent progress.
Photography by 360 North. Kayaks on a lake in Muonio.
Despite these successes, he still faces the typical challenges of a business owner, admitting that questions like “Am I going to make it?” and “Is this realistic?” bother him even now. When asked about his strategy for navigating these thoughts, he said: “What helps me is keeping a clear vision and regularly reevaluating my direction every six months to make sure I’m on the right path.”
Oscar finds running his business incredibly rewarding, saying that it feels ‘super cool’ to have achieved everything he has so far. “It gives me a strong sense of independence,” he said. “Knowing I’ve built something in a completely new place? It feels amazing.”
He believes that perseverance and consistency always pay off. “Taking things one step at a time is key. You don’t reach the summit overnight, but with steady progress, you eventually get there. That mindset keeps me hopeful.” Knowing that new entrepreneurs will have many of the same questions he did, he shared his top bit of advice: “Take the leap and don’t give up. Building a business requires investment – not just money, but also time, energy, and relationships. The more you put in, the more you receive in return!”