Cold messages to people in my field, do they work? (Detroit)

A friend suggested informational chats and I do not know how to ask. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I want advice, not a job directly. How do you phrase the request?

Follow up with a thank-you and a short update. One of my chats led to a referral a month later.

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