Advice about the industry and mixing engineers (I need anwers please!)?

Hi guys, I'm just now getting my equipment and I feel I've wasted a lot of time over the years smoking weed. I'm 22 now and I want to get into the industry and start getting my name out but I don't have an engineer to mix my music. I originally planned to save up from ages 22.5-24 for going to engineering school. From 24-25 will be spent in school and then finally at age 25 beginning to go out, do open mics, and get my name out etc. I feel this is too much time passed to begin at age 25. Theoretically it could still take a few years to build a fanbase and 'blow up'. Do you guys think I should skip engineering school and find a good mixing engineer?


I'm doing it indie, and I want my own label, so I feel it'd be nicer to take care of everything on the production end myself so I can produce myself and artists on my label.Advice about the industry and mixing engineers (I need anwers please!)?
it's easy, go out and live music, go to school, and at the same time, at night go out and play, and don't worry about making it, nobody ever does unless you know a couple other things about the industry