Meeting Local Investors/Mentors

[Eric Giovannucci]

Well, I have certainly let fear/analysis paralysis get the best of me, and need some guidance. 

I just moved up to the SF Bay area, and have been teetering back and forth about getting to a meeting. I have a hard time deciding on when to do it, am I knowledgeable enough to "be in the trench" with these seasoned investors? I am young and have small pockets (haha) and can not offer much of anything besides a rookie opinion to any seasoned person. So I have found that it is easier to make an excuse as to why I can not make it to a meeting. 

I think that getting to know some local people to the East Bay area would certainly help me get started, but I feel that I am unsure how seek mentorship without being a burden, or a typical "newbie". I do have one rental under my belt, so I suppose I am not a complete newb. 

How did everyone first make to plunge to meeting local investors and what did you do to learn from them, without attempting to ask for help? 

[Emily B.]

Just start going to one (I found local meetups in my area starting with meetup.com) and chat with whoever will talk to you. It can be intimidating, I'm still new, but just start with one meeting, one person, and then work your way to the next one and the next. I found that some were quite willing to talk to me about being a newbie and it wasn't as intimidating as I made it out to be in my head. When you find those people, ask questions. Whatever newbie questions I had, I was always able to find someone willing to share their insights (deciphering the usefulness of those insights is another skill). Now I'm a regular attendee and still making new connections. Just jump in and do it, that's what I had to tell myself. Good luck!