How do I ask for an informational chat? (Atlanta)

I want to talk to people in a new field but I hate cold messages. Some people reply with short answers. How do you phrase the request?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 12 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

I asked what they wish they had known at my stage. People enjoy answering that.