Who are these guys anyway?
- Jan (Beerschot supporter, and yes, still proudly cheering despite the heartbreaks): started out studying history and realized the past wasn’t paying the bills. So he went full Sherlock Holmes, became a private detective, ran his own office, then moved into aviation security. Ended up head of security, before teaming up with Herwig.
- Herwig (Anderlecht fan, and yes even though they both support for the mauve-white colored shirts, it’s not the same!): He’s the loyal one, having worked for only two companies in his entire career. He spent fifteen years in industrial supplies, sharpening his sales skills and eventually becoming a sales manager. When it was time for a new challenge, he jumped into the security world, where he worked his way up from sales to operations, eventually managing international teams across Europe. A people person and a born leader.
Screw it, let’s build our own thing!
After years of ‘the corporate life’, the itch to start something of their own kept growing stronger. They knew they had the expertise, the drive, and the vision, but what they needed was the right partner to help turn it into an actual business. That’s where Pace Setters came in.
Through the Cronos ecosystem, they got connected and quickly realized they were a bit of an odd fit, the outsiders. Aviation and physical security weren’t exactly fields Cronos had been active in before. But that’s also what made it exciting: a new market, a fresh angle, and the perfect playground for Jan and Herwig to prove themselves.
The Pace Setters effect
Jan & Herwig had the expertise, but building a company? That’s a whole other game. That’s where Pace Setters swooped in:
- Branding & identity (thanks Odd Bunch, you rock)
- Business proposition fine-tuning (Pace Setters kept pushing without suffocating)
- A crash course in “How Cronos works 101”
- Ongoing sparring partners for ideas, hiring plans, and the occasional panic moment
In their words: “They gave us freedom, kept us calm and pushed us just enough. Exactly what we needed.”
The hardest part? Putting yourself on the map.
In the early months there was no revenue, just searching, refining, convincing. That’s where they grew the most: learning to be patient, resisting the urge to sprint and positioning themselves properly.
Now, less than a year in, they feel at home within the group, free to shape their business and run with ideas that used to get blocked in corporate life.
Want to hear something nice?
“Starting on your own, you drown in paperwork and branding headaches. Pace Setters takes that weight off so you can focus on your business. They guide you from idea to a good working company and they do it in a super human, no-pressure way. They radiate trust.”
– Herwig & Jan
Advice for future entrepreneurs?
- Know your value
- Believe in your product (and yourself)
- Then just go for it. No excuses.
And if you want to do it with extra confidence? Pace Setters is your pit crew.
