Networking without feeling pushy after 17 years as a retail manager

A friend suggested informational chats and I do not know how to ask. This is my first time dealing with any of this. I want advice, not a job directly. 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.

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