author Kristi DePaul recommends avoiding vague questions like, "Can I pick your brain?" Instead, get right to the point — quickly share who you are, how you found this person, and what you're looking for.

Try saying something along the lines of:

[Name],

Your professional journey really stood out to me. I'm very interested in building my career as a [role]. Since you have a great deal of experience in that position, I was wondering if you might have some time to offer me a bit of advice around how to pursue it. I'm curious how you got to where you are today. I would really appreciate a brief call at your convenience.

Let me know if you're open to chatting?