Feeling vulnerable about expressing interest in someone I admire professionally. Is it too much?

I (31F) admire a guy (36M) in a similar professional field. We’ve never met, but we’re both relatively visible in what we do. I once messaged him to say I liked his work, and he replied, but didn’t follow up.
Now I’m wondering if it would be weird or inappropriate to send something like:
“Hey, I really admire what you do, and I’d actually like to get to know you better.”
I don’t want to be creepy or overstep — just honest.
I’m not expecting anything, just… wanting to be brave.
Has anyone here tried something similar? How did it go?
Thank you. 💛