So, I just got back from the first Houston Start-up Happy Hour of 2008, which was actually alot of fun.

I’m not going to lie. At first I wasn’t sure what to expect. A bunch of strangers, all doing what I do on a daily basis, coming together for Happy Hour… I figured this could be really awkward or really interesting. Either way, you better believe that I was going to make an appearance.

At first. It was definitely awkward. Parking was pretty scarce. I had to park about four blocks away. Only after some random guy convinced me that I needed to move my car or be towed. It was only convincing because he was parked next to me.

The bar was dark & loud. I didn’t know anyone, so I just kinda stood around surfing the internet on my iPhone, drinking a glass of chardonnay.

There were about a dozen or so little groups. All chatting, networking, and exchanging business cards. One guy was walking around taking pictures of each group. I figured him for the leader of the pack, just preparing for a major flickr upload.

As I’m analyzing the pack, some guy next to me drops his phone. It bounced off my foot and came to a halt right below me. So, of course, I pick it up to hand it to him. Bingo! That was my foot in the door. We start talking. Work this, Freelance that. Shortly thereafter, I have his business card. He has mine. He moves along…

Which leaves me talking to someone else. They pitch me an idea for an eBusiness. I guess they think I can help them somehow, but I can’t. He knows this. So, out of courtesy, we exchange business cards. Then move along.

At this point, I figure I should just hunt down the leader of the pack. Get in there. Introduce myself. See what this guy is about. See what the Houston Startup is all about. But, I get cut off. Greet. Talk. Exchange. Move Along…

I (somehow) wind up at the bar, where I am suckered into another glass of overpriced, yet very tasty, wine.

This is where I meet the true “heart & soul” of the group. We don’t talk for long, but she drops all the names & terms I needed to hear. - Twitter. RSS. Digg. Social Media. Etc.

I’m in. I’m down for every happy hour.

Time passes along, and I close my tab out a couple hours after I arrived. I met a few more people. Told a small group that I would pass along their card to a friend of mine, that may or may not be able to help them out.

But as I am leaving Sonoma, I realize that social media has a very wide audience and appeal. It truly is going to be a major player in the ever-evolving world wide web. Social Media is going to influence the way we do business. This is the future. This is where I am.

I also have alot of random business cards to carry along the way…