Today we’d like to introduce you to Virginia Castro.
Hi Virginia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was raised in East LA, and then 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. From a young age, I knew I wanted to be a designer and do something creative, and I got my first job at 14 – lying to get the job by saying I was 16. I have always hustled to help my parents, who always inspired me, and to reach my own goals!
After high school, I went to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise for one year. I left then so that my little sister could go to college since we were raised to support each other and all pitch in. After this experience, 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 in front of the house, and I booked and worked with celebrities and VIP clients of all sorts, including my lifelong idol, Rod Stewart. In the 20+ years, he had been their client, no one had successfully sold him any products, and just under my own initiative and personality, I sold him products he was thrilled to learn about. It was a lesson in trusting myself and my instincts.
Alongside this job, I had sought an unpaid job at a manufacturer to learn the fashion accessories business directly, since it was my dream. I helped that manufacturer improve their operations, and in trade started my own line of pet collars making them there. I took my pet line, hustled hard, and immediately was successful with 525 accounts. I even did custom designs for Oprah’s dogs!
Then, at the age of 31, I opened Catts & Dogg’s 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 for our many rescue efforts. I ran it for 15 years successfully before selling it, and I remain friends with the buyer to this day.
While I was still running the pet store, 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 felt the love and passion that can come through from an amazing guitarist who deserved a strap that matched in quality and beauty.
Despite being new to the music accessories world, 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 stores, my straps started selling.
Two months into being in this industry, my buyer from GC emailed me saying I 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 he was the 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 talents in the industry: Prince, Jimmy Page, BB King, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, 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.
It has been 26 years since I started my pet line and Get’m Get’m, and even through a rebrand, the pandemic, and many other ups and downs, I am still making new styles, selling internationally, and have zero plans to stop.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has definitely not been smooth going!
To be honest, at the time I got the job in Beverly Hills there were not too many Latinas working there and none in customer-facing positions. This meant that I was met with a lot of bias, belittling, and judgment from the (frankly) white and European majority of workers there. I was also given many strict rules, like not being allowed to speak Spanish with any of the support staff or back-of-house workers, and only with the wealthy Mexican clients that came in. Still, I shocked them all by becoming the top seller, averaging $30k a month in sales. Then, when I took those numbers and approached the owner directly for a raise, she was impressed by my guts and gave them to me. Unfortunately, management did not feel the same and promptly fired me. I didn’t let that stop me though, and just took what I learned there and put it into my pet line that I had started.
Then, with Get’m Get’m and my line of guitar straps, I literally got laughed at in Guitar Centers’ corporate offices when I met with them the first time. I have faced so much machismo and sexism in the music industry, which is probably not a surprise nowadays, but it took a strong backbone and all the fearlessness and hard work ethic that my parents had taught me to keep going.
Then, after 18 years of business, I had to rebrand and essentially start from scratch after splitting from my old business partner. It has been an uphill battle to keep growing, made harder by the pandemic these last few years, and a major downsizing of my team. Still, I am making new styles every year, and sell internationally, and continuing to grow.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
When it comes to the guitar straps I design, they stand out from the rest for a number of things: They are first off extra long: the industry standard length is 55″. When Marilyn Manson put on a strap that length for me it was ridiculously short on him! With his encouragement, I started making straps at 72″ in length, so artists could hang their guitars real low while jamming. Since then, I have taken feedback from clients over the years and landed on 65″ as my standard length to suit the widest range of artists.
Additionally, every strap has a multiple-layer construction: a gorgeous styled facing, fused with nylon webbing lining on the back of the strap. This creates a sturdier strap and more comfortable strap. It doesn’t dig into the shoulder even when guitarists rock hard. It also adds to the durability of the strap. Along with the nylon webbing, I only use welded metal hardware and real leather tips. Many of my clients have straps that they bought 20 years ago and still use to this day, and the strap still looks good! They hold up even through regular use.
As a businesswoman and artist, I am known for my hands-on approach. I care about seeing the artists using my straps happy. I have rushed to meet with clients personally to ensure they have exactly what they are looking for. I’m not one to get star-struck. I treat everyone like human beings and the way I want to be treated, and it is why so many artists love working with me and even come to be my friends as well as my clients.
Also, even after selling my pet store, I have always been known for my love of animals. My companies, both Get’m Get’m and my pet line RightOn! Accessories, give a portion of every sale back to animal rescue groups. During the years I ran my pet store we rescued over 300 cats and 600 dogs. I also have a clause in my artist endorsement agreement requiring endorsed artists to give back to animal rescues as well. All of them have been happy to agree to give back and help.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
That you don’t need schooling to succeed. If you really believe in what you want, if you have the drive and are willing to learn from experience and seek out the knowledge you need in a variety of places, you can get where you want to go. Don’t give up! The number of times I have broken down and questioned myself over the years, I had to remember this, and remember the determination I learned growing up, and to just keep going.
There will be naysayers, and haters, but they don’t know you as you do, and only you know what you are really capable of. Trust your gut feelings, and just go after it! Obstacles will always exist, whether it’s not having a college education, not having as much money at the start as other people, or people who don’t have your vision and want to question it. None of those matter, ultimately.
Pricing:
- Guitar Straps from $80.00 and up
- Pet Collars from $26.00 and up
Contact Info:
- Website: https://getmgetm.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmgetmstraps/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetmGetmOfficial
- Other: https://rightonaccessories.com
