Hey there. Orianna here from Fortune.

When Joey Gonzalez walked into a Barry’s Bootcamp class at 26, he thought he was just signing up for a good workout. He loved it so much that he became an instructor. By 2015, a decade later, he was running the company as CEO.

His advice for Gen Z and young millennials who want to scale their careers at a similar speed? Start sending cold emails—or LinkedIn DMs, for that matter.

He would know. Last year, the self-made millionaire transitioned to the role of executive chairman of the upscale boutique fitness brand. But despite his busy schedule, Gonzalez still makes time to read the unsolicited messages ambitious young people send him—and he even found his successor that way.

“I used to dedicate, and I still do, most of my day on Friday, to anybody who wants to have a conversation around careers, even random people on LinkedIn, who reach out to me,” Gonzalez told me.

“I would set aside the day to help meet with an MBA student who has questions about my career and how I got here. Or a trainer who’s working somewhere who wants to open up their own place.”

Instead of finding your cold outreach annoying, Gonzalez insists that most bosses want to help the next generation of workers learn the ropes and climb the ladder. If anything, he says that confidently raising your arm for help is a green flag.

“People are generally really good and want to help,” he added. “They’ll appreciate you having that kind of ambition and dialogue.”

He’s not alone. Figma’s billionaire CEO Dylan Field, self-made Skims entrepreneur Emma Grede, and Nespresso’s U.K. CEO Anna Lundstrom have all revealed that a cold email (or call) was the secret to their success.

And it’s a win-win hack for young people. The worst that can happen is you remain in the same position you’re already in, so there’s nothing to lose.

As Gonzalez said, “It’s a no-fail system, because if you email and you are honest about how you feel, and the recipient thinks it’s corny, that job wasn’t meant for you. And that’s just not the right person that you should go work for.”

—Orianna Rosa Royle
Success Associate Editor, Fortune

Got a career tip or dilemma? Get in touch: orianna.royle@fortune.com. You can also find me on LinkedIn, TikTok, X, and Instagram.