Networking without feeling pushy - 14 months and counting

A friend suggested informational chats and I do not know how to ask. I worry about bothering people. How do you phrase the request?

I wrote three short lines: who I am, why them and a small ask for fifteen minutes. About one in four said yes.

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.