Cold calling is already such a poor-performing strategy. the ONE thing good about cold calling is that you are talking to a HUMAN, building rapport, and asking and answering questions.Now that ONE good thing about it is taken away...Like David above me, no experience, and it would indeed be interesting to see how it does, but that doesn't take away from what I mentioned above.

I recommend people only sell if (a) you can invest the capital in something that performs better, or (b) it aligns with your goals.

I am wondering if my first steps (past the education part) is to build a network of people who know, like, and trust me through posting content like newsletters, articles, podcasts, doing webinars, going to events (aka build my brand), or, should I first find a deal and then raise capital?

To really make a good informed decision you'll want to look at all of the metrics of your properties performance. 

You'll also continue to be building your brand, your network, your experience, etc.

You may want to first explore cities that you are already familiar with.Think of cities where you grew up, went to school, like to vacation to or see family.You will have a better idea of what the good / bad parts of town than a brand new city that you are unfamiliar with.Best of luck.

You are complaining after four months of trying in a brand new business that you didn't know anything about?

Sounds like you’re trying to google and perform your own heart surgery.  

Know the Risks – Be prepared to perform thorough due diligence on any borrower or property.

if he performs a service for you, just pay him for it.