After talking with my mentor (He's a realtor with 20+ years experience) he suggested purchasing a rental property first.

Has anyone had any experience with this process?

@Tru Verret Fleming What was your experience? 

You don't need to know everything to get started; you need a foundation to build on, and the rest will come through experience and then refining your education.You can build a basic understanding of investing in 3-6 months.

@Parker BullardFrom my experience, house hacking is a great way to reduce housing costs by renting out part of a property, like a duplex or triplex.

There's nothing like the experience of others to help you not only sound more professional in the beginning but also miss a TON of pit falls!  

Does anyone have any positive or negative experiences?

At the very least you will want to have some general foundations set because with time you will modify processes and the learnings via experience you gain.

Does anyone hear have any experience with either of these companies? 

Your first investment will be a huge learning experience.