Breaking into PI work in Ohio

Anyone here go from zero to licensed in Ohio? Evenings free since June, been poking at OSINT with SpiderFoot and Maltego. What surprised you early — licensing hoops, first field jobs, or finding clients?

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And in Ohio, the fastest move for me was to pause the “own license” chase and get on the books with a PISGS-licensed shop for evening OSINT so I could bank verifiable hours and references. Lead with a one-page sample from your SpiderFoot/Maltego workflow and ask for 1099 skip traces or social sweeps; two said yes once I showed turnaround time. Small caveat: PISGS expects documented experience before you can be the qualifier — skim https://www.pisgs.ohio.gov/ and what city are you near?

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