Speaking
Tony Konja — Speaker
Real-world retail insight, earned the hard way.
Tony Konja brings more than two decades of hands-on retail leadership to keynotes, workshops, fireside conversations, leadership meetings and select panel appearances.
As the owner of Keg N Bottle, Tony speaks from the operator’s seat — sharing practical lessons on growth, leadership, merchandising, theft, fraud, margin protection and building a business that can scale beyond its founder.
If you want your audience to leave with useful, practical ideas they can apply immediately, Tony is the speaker.
Paid speaking engagements · In-person and virtual formats · Customized for each audience
About Tony
Built in the real world.
Not theory from the sidelines. Lessons earned through years of operating, hiring, expanding, protecting margin and serving customers every day.
Running a retail business means making consequential decisions every single day — with real money, real employees and real customers on the line. Tony has grown a multi-location retail operation, built an ecommerce channel, developed frontline employees into trusted managers and navigated the operational risks that quietly erode profitability when left unaddressed.
He has spoken publicly on retail theft, online fraud and the realities of operating a regulated business in a competitive market. His perspective is not borrowed from a case study. It comes from decades of making the call, living with the outcome and improving the system.
Whether your audience includes entrepreneurs, retail operators, leadership teams or aspiring business owners, Tony’s goal is simple: give people useful ideas they can put to work the moment they walk out the door.
“The best business lessons rarely come from a textbook. They come from solving problems when the doors are open, customers are waiting and the decision is yours.”
— Tony Konja, Owner, Keg N Bottle
Ways to Work With Tony
Flexible formats. Real-world substance.
Choose the format that fits your audience and goals — from a focused keynote to an interactive workshop, fireside conversation or leadership session.
Keynote Presentations
45–60 minute talks built around practical retail, leadership, growth and risk-management lessons.
Fireside Conversations
Moderated, candid discussions ideal for conferences, leadership meetings and industry gatherings.
Half-Day Workshops
Interactive sessions designed to turn ideas into decisions, systems and practical next steps.
Virtual Presentations
High-value remote sessions for distributed teams, associations and online events.
Panel Appearances
Selective panel participation where Tony’s operator perspective adds real substance to the conversation.
Media & Podcasts
Select interviews and media conversations considered when the topic and audience align strategically.
Speaking Fees & Availability
Bring Tony to your next event.
Tony Konja is available for paid keynote presentations, workshops, fireside conversations, leadership meetings and select panel appearances.
Each engagement is tailored to your audience, event goals and format. Speaking fees are quoted individually based on presentation type, location, preparation, travel and content-usage requirements.
Request Tony’s availability and a customized speaking quote for your event.
What shapes the speaking fee
- Presentation format and length
- Audience size and event type
- Location, travel and accommodation
- Customization and prep requirements
- Recording and streaming rights
Tailored to Your Event
Every engagement is customized so the content, preparation and logistics align with your audience, goals and event format.
Speaking Topics
Topics grounded in real experience.
Tony’s presentations are tailored to the audience, event goals and desired outcomes. Explore the topic areas below to find the best fit for your event.
Retail Growth & Operations
Expansion, systems, location strategy and building a scalable operation.
Retail Growth & Operations
Expansion, systems, location strategy and building a scalable operation.
Scaling a Business Without Losing Control
Growth is exciting — and dangerous. Tony shows how to expand with intention, protecting your culture, customer experience and profitability as the business gets bigger.
Building Successful New Locations
From site evaluation to grand opening, Tony walks through the decisions that determine whether a new location becomes a genuine asset or an expensive distraction.
Making Every Square Foot Profitable
Space costs money. Tony shares how layout, product placement and operational flow can transform underperforming areas into productive, revenue-generating parts of your store.
Creating Repeatable Store Systems
A business that depends entirely on its owner has a ceiling. Tony explains how to build standards, routines and accountability structures that allow a team to perform consistently.
Merchandising & Customer Experience
Assortment, loyalty, in-store experience and merchandising that truly sells.
Merchandising & Customer Experience
Assortment, loyalty, in-store experience and merchandising that truly sells.
Merchandising That Sells
Great merchandising is invisible to the customer and invaluable to the business. Tony shares the principles behind product assortments and store environments designed to sell.
Product Selection and Inventory Discipline
More SKUs is not a strategy. Tony discusses how to build a focused, productive assortment and make the hard calls that keep inventory working for you.
Turning Product Knowledge Into Customer Loyalty
Customers who feel educated and respected come back. Tony explains how genuine expertise and attentive service help specialty retailers build relationships no algorithm can replicate.
Creating In-Store Experiences Ecommerce Cannot Replace
Physical retail is not dying — it is evolving. Tony explores how to give customers a compelling reason to visit, return and recommend your store.
People, Leadership & Culture
Hiring, management development, team investment and ownership mindset.
People, Leadership & Culture
Hiring, management development, team investment and ownership mindset.
Hiring for Character and Potential
Skills can be taught. Integrity and ownership cannot. Tony shares how he identifies candidates most likely to grow with the company — and why character matters more than a résumé.
Promoting Employees Into Management
Your best performer is not automatically your best manager. Tony discusses how to identify real leadership potential and support new managers through the transition.
Investing in Employees
Development is not a cost — it is a competitive advantage. Tony explains how investing in your people improves performance, reduces turnover and builds lasting organizational strength.
Profit Sharing and the Ownership Mindset
When employees share in the results, everything changes. Tony explores how profit sharing builds accountability, engagement and a team that thinks like owners.
Building a Company That Does Not Depend on One Person
If the business cannot run without you, you own a job — not a business. Tony discusses how to build management depth and organizational trust that give an owner real freedom.
Risk, Theft & Profit Protection
Loss prevention, ecommerce fraud, operational loss and protecting margin.
Risk, Theft & Profit Protection
Loss prevention, ecommerce fraud, operational loss and protecting margin.
The Reality of Retail Theft
Tony speaks from direct experience about shoplifting, organized retail crime and the difficult balance between protecting your business and maintaining a welcoming environment.
Internal Theft and Operational Loss
Not every loss walks out the front door. Tony discusses the warning signs and management practices that reduce internal theft, inventory discrepancies and preventable mistakes.
Ecommerce Fraud and Chargebacks
Online retail introduces a different category of risk. Tony shares practical lessons about suspicious orders, payment fraud and protecting your ecommerce operation.
Protecting Margin in a High-Volume Business
Small losses compound into serious problems at scale. Tony explains why pricing discipline, inventory control and theft prevention must work together.
Entrepreneurship & Strategic Growth
Partnership decisions, opportunity discipline and long-term business judgment.
Entrepreneurship & Strategic Growth
Partnership decisions, opportunity discipline and long-term business judgment.
Choosing the Right Business Partners
A great partnership can accelerate everything. A bad one can cost you years. Tony discusses how to evaluate alignment on values, expectations and financial goals before you commit.
Knowing When to Say No
Opportunity is everywhere. Discipline is rare. Tony discusses how to evaluate products, locations and ideas against your long-term goals — and why the best operators say no far more often than yes.
Speaking Inquiry
Bring real-world retail experience to your next event.
Tony Konja is available for paid keynote presentations, workshops, fireside conversations, leadership meetings and select panel appearances. Every engagement is tailored to the audience, goals and format. Request Tony’s availability and speaking fee for your event.
Book Tony Konja
Request speaking information.
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