SLO County man has 1 million followers on Instagram. He just won big on ‘The Price Is Right’
When Atascadero resident Christian Garcia got picked to appear on “The Price Is Right,” he didn’t expect to find himself backstage with game show host Drew Carey, swapping show business advice.
“In between breaks, he was telling me, ‘You don’t have to try hard to impress people. Just be yourself,’ ” Garcia said. “Not a lot of people know — he’s just a humble, down-to-earth guy. ... That’s what made it really amazing.”
Meeting Carey was just one highlight for Garcia, a social media influencer with more than 1 million followers on Instagram and 2 million followers on Snapchat. He appeared on “The Price Is Right” on CBS on Monday, walking away with winnings that included a brand-new car.
“It’s been a crazy ride, and I’ve been enjoying it, honestly,” Garcia, 22, said Thursday.
Touted as television’s longest running game show, “The Price is Right” challenges contestants to guess the costs of everything from designer handbags and digital cameras to exercise equipment and bedroom furniture to win cash and prizes. Carey replaced Bob Barker as the show’s host in 2007.
“We would always watch (the show) with my grandma and my mom,” Garcia said. “One of my dreams was to be on ‘Price is Right.’ ”
He got his chance on Monday. (Garcia filmed his appearance on the game show in April at CBS Television City in Los Angeles.)
After correctly guessing the price of a laptop, Garcia got his chance to play a game and chat with Carey, who was impressed by his number of social media followers.
“But I’ll never be as iconic as you,” Garcia told Carey.
“I don’t know, man,” Carey replied with a chuckle. “I don’t have a million followers on Instagram.”
Garcia’s biggest challenge on “The Price is Right” came when he played the game Ten Chances, which gives contestants a total of 10 chances to guess the prices of three different prizes.
In Garcia’s case, those prizes were a snow cone machine, a 15-piece knife block set and a Chevrolet Spark LS hatchback car in Mystic Blue.
Garcia easily guessed how much the snow cone machine cost but used up most of his chances figuring out the price of the knife block set — winning the car on his very last try.
“No one could believe it. Everyone in the production team was, ‘What the heck?’ ” Garcia recalled with a chuckle.
The feat even caught the attention of Yahoo!Finance, which shared a clip of Garcia on its site with the exhortation “You have to see this game! WOW!”
A spin on the Big Wheel sent Garcia to the final, showcase round, which involves two competitors bidding on different prize packages. Whoever bids closer to the price of their package without going over wins the prizes in their showcase.
Garcia fell short of correctly guessing the price of his showcase, which would have netted him such goodies as a gas grill, patio furniture, a kayak and trips to Hawaii and Alaska.
“For $200, I missed a trip to Hawaii,” Garcia lamented, although he had a legitimate excuse.
He was diagnosed with Type II diabetes a couple months ago, which made filming without meal breaks difficult.
“During the show, we’re not allowed to eat” or drink, he explained. “I was just really exhausted and haven’t eaten anything. ... My mind was all over the place.”
Still, Garcia is satisfied with his performance on the show overall. “It’s crazy, honestly, that I won a car,” he said.
“Being on ’The Price is Right is honestly so satisfying,” he added. “I’m on a show I’ve always watched.”
Instagram influencer calls SLO County home
Garcia, who was born in San Luis Obispo and raised in Atascadero, is no stranger to the spotlight.
He first got involved in social media in middle school, around the time he switched to independent studies because he was being bullied in school.
“I started posting really colorful photos. Also, I had a passion for singing,” he said, interests that were encouraged by his parents, Alejandra and Omar Garcia.
“Always, since I was young, they’ve supported me,” Christian Garcia said.
At age 12, Garcia appeared on the Mexican version of “The X Factor.” He made it through a couple rounds of the reality music competition before being eliminated.
“One of the judges said, ‘I don’t think you can really make it in this industry,’ ” he recalled, a remark that left Garcia in tears. “Being that age and hearing someone say ‘no’ to you, it crushes you.”
But it made Garcia more determined to succeed on social media.
He started sharing videos on YouTube, garnering the attention of NBC’s “Today” and ABC’s “Good Morning America,” and posting lifestyle tips and skincare reviews via Instagram.
That in turn nabbed the notice of celebrities including Kylie Jenner, Cardi B and Meghan Trainor. Garcia has also been profiled in Forbes magazine.
Garcia, who graduated from Atascadero High School, previously worked at his parents’ restaurant, Tia Juanita’s Fast Mexican Food in Atascadero.
Now being an influencer is Garcia’s full-time job. Combined with the income Garcia gets from the public relations firm he runs with his sister Sabella, Golden Voice Publicity, that career gives him a six-figure annual salary, he said.
Prominent companies such as Calvin Klein, Fashion Nova or Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez pay Garcia $5,000 to $10,000 per post to endorse their brand on his Instagram feed, although that figure is low compared to what major influencers make.
He also collaborates with local brands such as the Madonna Inn and SLO Donut Co. in San Luis Obispo for campaigns and giveaways.
“It’s a crazy business where you don’t know when you’re going to get your next brand deal,” Garcia explained.
“I consider myself an entrepreneur because I love fashion, I love makeup,” said the influencer, who sported a pink-and-black sweatshirt and lilac sweatpants for his “The Price is Right” appearance.
Garcia’s goals include reaching 10 million followers, earning a million dollars and working on his acting career. He’s currently filming a holiday-themed Netflix series, although he can’t divulge details.
He’s also eager to get cast on another game show. “I want to do ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ ... or ‘Deal or No Deal,’ ” he said.
Garcia, who divides his time between Atascadero and Los Angeles, says his success is proof of the power of prayer and positivity.
“I started with nothing — no followers, no guidance from nobody,” he said. “Coming from a small town, anything is possible if you really work for it.”
“My mantra when I wake up in the morning is ‘Today I’m going to be blessed. Today I’m going to inspire the world,’ ” Garcia said.
Watch ‘The Price is Right’
“The Price is Right” airs at 11 am. on weekdays on CBS.
This story was originally published May 7, 2021 at 9:52 AM with the headline "SLO County man has 1 million followers on Instagram. He just won big on ‘The Price Is Right’."
