
Your Security Cameras Know Everything — Bernard Pender on AI Surveillance, Privacy & Building a €1.3M Business With Zero Ads
Work Well Live Well PodcastShow Notes
What if the cameras protecting your home or business were actually exposing you? Bernard Pender, co-founder of premium security company UC and the reforestation project Cloud Forest, reveals what most people never get told about CCTV. Bernard shares how a cheap recorder his team inherited was being pinged hundreds of times a day from Russia, why 99% of installers quote the same budget cameras, and how AI "freeform search" now lets cameras index everything from your clothes to whether you're on your phone. He also explains why AI agents will soon be phoning managers when staff slack off. On the business side, he breaks down how he and his best mate Dave grew from €57K in year one to €1.3M, without spending a cent on marketing, by obsessing over delivery, training and word of mouth. Plus: the 25-hour work week built on "work-life harmony," and the Covid-era idea that became Cloud Forest, planting native Irish woodland on the west coast. Follow for more conversations with Irish founders.
More from Work Well Live Well Podcast
How do you explain dementia to a child? In this episode of Work Well Live Well, Dave sits down with Aimee Owens, a teacher and mum who watched her dad live with dementia. Her family kept him at the heart of it all, with Irish music in the house, the girls playing the harp for him and plenty of singing. Aimee talks about the stigma and the shame many older people still feel around dementia. She explains why we need to learn to age better, and how one simple thing helped her children understand what was happening to their grandad. She also shares the story behind her new children’s book. It’s about the special bond between a grandparent and a grandchild, and about love, kindness and being in the moment together. If dementia has touched your family, or you’re wondering how to talk to your kids about it, this one is for you. Listen now. #WorkWellLiveWell #Dementia #Alzheimers #IrishPodcast #AgeingWell
In this episode of Work Well, Live Well, we sit down with Kym and Tara, founders of Crack the Code and passionate advocates for dyslexia awareness.Drawing on their own experiences as parents, they share what it's like to navigate a dyslexia diagnosis, the challenges children and families face, the stigma surrounding dyslexia, and why early support is so important. We also discuss the work Crack the Code is doing to help children thrive and what more can be done to improve support across schools and communities.About Our Guests:Kym and Tara are the founders of Crack the Code, an organisation dedicated to supporting children with dyslexia through education, advocacy, and practical learning strategies.About Work Well Live Well PodcastDive into Irish business with the Work Well Live Well Podcast! Hosted by Dave Caffrey, it's packed with expert advice, leadership insights, and real stories from business leaders, founders, and experts.
In this episode of Work Well, Live Well, we sit down with Brendan Doherty, founder and Managing Director of Connex Offsite - a company leading prefabrication in Irish and UK construction.
In this episode of Work Well, Live Well, we sit down with Keith Dwyer, founder of Summit Scaffolding - one of Irelands top Scaffolding companies - and world Kettle Bell champ.
In this episode of Work Well, Live Well, we sit down with Peter Finn, famously known as Pete The Builder — a leader in Irish construction both on and off screen.