I got burned by a bad laser treatment. It inspired me to build a six-figure clinic — and then a sunscreen line.

Simone Steele is the founder of Simply Shady and Queen Aesthetics Wellness and Beauty Clinic. Danielle Villasana for BI

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Simone Steele, founder of Queen Aesthetics Wellness and Beauty Clinic and inclusive sunscreen company Simply Shady . The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I decided to start my own business after getting burned — literally.

I was a board-certified physician's assistant at a plastic surgery office in Houston, and I went to another clinic looking for laser treatment for my own skin concerns . What could've been a confidence-boosting procedure in the right hands left me with burns and pigmentation problems for years. I don't want anybody else to feel like I did.

Steele started her business with in-home Botox and filler parties.…