Cold messages to people in my field, do they work? after 17 years as a store manager

I want to talk to people in a new field but I hate cold messages. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I worry about bothering people.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

Do not apologise for asking. Most people remember someone who helped them.