Lead generation? Cold calls?

[Chase Yates]

Hey guys, I am new to both BiggerPockets and REI in general. I have started going through the forums here and have ordered the How to Invest in Real Estate book for sale here on BP.

I'm curious what you guys recommend to generate leads for cold calling? Almost everything I've read has pointed to using expired listings to find these leads but I'm not too sure where to find expired listings? 

Would you guys recommend cold calling in general or is there a better approach to finding that first deal?