CEO and Founder

Hey, I’m Virginia Castro, but most people call me V.

I am the owner and founder of Get’m Get’m, Inc, a brand of high end and high style guitar straps and music accessories, and RightOn! Accessories, a badass pet line. I have been a designer, business owner, and philanthropist since 1996.

I was raised in East LA, before we moved to Montebello, by two very hardworking Mexican immigrant parents that instilled in me and my siblings a sense of honor, integrity, and value in the work we do. Since I was a kid I knew I wanted to do something creative and to be a designer. I went to one year at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise, before having to leave to work and to help my sister go to school. After leaving, I worked a variety of jobs through my early 20s, including at doctor’s offices and law firms, but it never felt like my calling and path.

Then, I got a job in Beverly Hills, at a major salon. I was one of the only Latinas working front of house in the area. This meant that I was met with a lot of belittling and judgment from the (frankly) white majority of staff there, but shocked them all by becoming the top seller with the best reputation among clients (despite rules like only being allowed to speak Spanish with the wealthy Mexican clients & not any of the BOH staff.) I booked and worked with celebrities and VIP clients of all sorts, including my life long idol Rod Stewart – averaging $30K a month in sales. It was a lesson in trusting myself and my instincts.

I took this success and asked for a raise from the owner directly, and she was impressed by my guts and gave it to me. Unfortunately, management did not feel the same and promptly fired me. I didn’t cry though. I laughed!

Little had they known, while
working this job, I had sought out real world experience helping out at a local manufacturer to learn the fashion accessories business directly, and working a deal where I could start a line of pet collars in exchange for my help around the facility.
I took my pet line, hustled hard, and immediately was successful with 525 accounts. I even did custom designs for Oprah’s dogs! I turned around from getting fired in Beverly Hills and put that fire and confidence into my own business ideas and growth. Everything started with my line of pet collars, the line that is now known as RightOn! Accessories.

At around the same time, I was home one day watching a block of VH1 music videos, and I noticed that every rock star had a kick-ass guitar, but all of their straps were the same plain strap with no style. It came to me: Why not apply the design and knowledge I had from my pet line to making straps for guitarists that would stand out
and match the rest of their style and vibe? I was always in love with the guitar, and I felt the love and passion that can come through from an amazing guitarist deserved a strap that matched in quality and beauty.

Despite being new to the music industry, I went after the big boys
immediately – pursuing Guitar Centers to sell my straps. They
laughed at me when I brought my straps in to show them, but I refused to be deterred. I turned to the room of cubicles and said to the whole room, “Anyone here with some taste and style?!” The buyer was not happy, lol, but I was persistent and kept hitting him up six times! We are friends to this day, if you can believe it.

Three months later a new buyer took over and brought me in. I offered 6 styles, my first check from them was $10k, and in the first 3 hours of hitting their stores my straps started selling.

Two months later, my buyer from GC emailed me saying my guitar strap was in the center fold of Guitar World magazine worn by Twiggy Ramirez. Then, Marilyn Manson had his team contact me to design for him. It was the mid 90s, he was massive, and it was my first rock star that I took care of. He encouraged me to keep making my straps different from everyone else, and gave me the idea to make them extra long so
guitarists could wear them low – even if they were tall.

Since then, I’ve had my straps worn by some of the most renowned and legendary musical talent in the industry: Prince, Jimmy Page, BB King, Metallica, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Avril Lavigne, Andrew Watt, Johnny Depp, and more. I have also had the opportunity to do custom
designs and OEM work for legends like Fender and Joe Bonamassa.

At the age of 31, my then partner and I opened Catts & Doggs pet
store in Silverlake. After educating myself about the industry & the many questionable products available, we became one of the first
holistic focused, all natural, boutique pet stores in LA. We were known for the beautiful environment we created, for only having quality and healthy products, the way we cared for all animals, and our many rescue efforts. I ran it for 15 years successfully before selling it, and I remain friends with the buyer to this day.

In 2015 I was forced to start over with a complete re-brand of the
company after a three year lawsuit, due to a split with my original business partner who tried to take my company with them. This was a real blow, but I've refused to let it stop me. Despite ongoing challenges to rebuild and regrow the brand, I'm determined to keep this company alive and to thrive.

It has now been over 27 years since I started Get’m Get’m and
RightOn! Accessories, and even through a re-brand, the pandemic, and many other ups and downs, I am still making new styles, selling internationally, and have zero plans to stop. Everything is still handmade with love, and every order supports American manufacturing.

A portion of every sale for both Get’m Get’m and RightOn! Accessories, still goes straight to supporting animal rescues, because my love of animals is behind so much of what I do.

Thank you for all the years of support!

Best,

V