Tier 4-5 City - Go to work for micro PE?

Currently working for one of the handful of scaled (~1BN latest funds) LMM-centric PE firms in my geography (think like Jacksonville, FL kind of geography) at a 2 and out. Got great feedback but there's no option to move up here. On a June cycle so I have time

For a variety of personal reasons I don't want to move from this small market if I can avoid it (I'm pretty old as far as associates go and my family is here). There are a billion tiny firms (from what I can tell, hybrid FO / IS / committed capital from HNWs sort of firms) around here that have been around forever and maybe have one junior, often times none

My question is has anyone gone to work for one of these sorts of firms? What was your experience?

Is it kosher to just go out to coffee with someone and pitch being their senior associate when they have none? I think it would be cool to still be involved in deals while getting to be way more hands on with the individual tiny businesses these kinds of firms buy

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