Cold messages to people in my field, do they work? - first time posting

A friend suggested informational chats and I do not know how to ask. It has been weighing on me all week. I worry about bothering people. How do you phrase the request?

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

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