In this episode of How I Started, host Andrew Kappel interviews Barry Rhein, the founder of Selling Through Curiosity and a faculty member at Stanford Business School. Barry shares his unorthodox journey from teenage entrepreneur with no college degree to becoming a renowned sales trainer and educator for Silicon Valley’s top companies.

Barry dives into the personal and professional experiences that shaped his life—from selling fishing worms and training dogs as a kid, to being fired repeatedly for questioning traditional sales models. He eventually launched his own sales training business built on an audacious offer: "Only pay me if you get results."

His curiosity-based method became a powerful tool not just for selling, but for coaching, managing, hiring, and leading. Barry has trained teams at companies like Salesforce and HP, pioneered virtual sales training long before Zoom, and now teaches Stanford MBAs how to master human connection through practical, hands-on exercises.

Barry is currently working with his daughter on a new project: Dating Through Curiosity, applying B2B sales techniques to personal relationships—and plans to expand into Parenting Through Curiosity next.

Takeaways

- Barry began his entrepreneurial journey at 12, persistently seeking jobs, selling worms, and studying behavior through dog training.

- He entered sales without a college degree and got fired multiple times for challenging the status quo.

- Created Selling Through Curiosity—a method that emphasizes authentic connection and curiosity-driven conversations.

- Built his business on outcome-based pricing: clients only pay if they get results.

- Was invited to Stanford after success at Salesforce, later co-developing a practice-based MBA course in sales.

- Pioneered virtual breakout rooms and remote training years before it became the norm.

- Has trained hundreds of thousands globally, scaling through innovation and adaptability.

- Currently working on Dating Through Curiosity, applying sales skills to personal connection and relationships.

- Emphasizes overcoming limiting beliefs, finding commonality, and connecting with authenticity.

- His philosophy: Sales is life—it’s not just about closing deals, it’s about helping people reach positive conclusions.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro to Barry Rhein and Early Hustle Stories

01:45 – Selling Worms, Dog Training, and Studying Human Behavior

03:10 – Becoming a Police Officer, Then Pivoting to Sales

04:50 – Getting Fired for Insubordination—and Why That Was a Good Thing

07:25 – Launching Selling Through Curiosity with “Only Pay If It Works”

09:30 – Training Teams at Salesforce, HP, and More

11:00 – Earning a Spot at Stanford Without a Degree

13:45 – Building the MBA Course: Hands-On, Practical Selling

16:05 – Virtual Training Innovation Before Zoom

18:20 – Impact at Scale: Training Over 100,000 People

20:10 – New Chapter: Dating Through Curiosity

22:00 – Future Vision: Parenting Through Curiosity

24:30 – Mentors, Inspiration, and the Power of Action

26:00 – Where to Find Barry Online and What’s Next

Keywords

Sales training, curiosity, human behavior, leadership, entrepreneurship, communication skills, Stanford MBA, Selling Through Curiosity, remote training, virtual sales, business development, coaching, recruiting, relationship building, personal growth, limiting beliefs, Dating Through Curiosity, Parenting Through Curiosity, outcome-based consulting, authenticity, sales philosophy, edtech, life skills, professional development, emotional intelligence, influence, connection, podcast

Selling Through Curiosity Website (STC): https://barryrhein.com/

Instagram- Through Curiosity: https://www.instagram.com/through.curiosity/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-rhein-1b6123/

Questions or Guest Ideas? Contact the Host Andrew Kappel on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewkappel/