And that's the real rub of it. I don't know what I don't know, but I also don't know where to get that knowledge, so a reasonable first step is to investigate

And that's the real rub of it. I don't know what I don't know, but I also don't know where to get that knowledge, so a reasonable first step is to investigate the people pushing "self-help" methods. From there you can often learn the right keywords to get a foot in the door with someone knowledgeable and have them actually tell you something useful rather than just taking your money and sending you on your way.