Laura Lake Expertise: Marketing Education: Missouri State University Location: Overland Park, Kansas Highlights Author of "Consumer Behavior for Dummies," published in 2009Operated her own consulting business, assisting small- to medium-sized businesses with marketing strategies for more than 12 yearsMarketing experience working in multiple agencies Experience Laura Lake is a former writer for The Balance, contributing 182 articles over a period of more than 13 years. In addition to working independently as a marketing consultant from 1998 to 2010, Lake has worked for multiple agencies in positions ranging from manager to director of operations to director of e-business strategy to vice president of digital strategy and marketing.Lake is also the author of "Consumer Behavior for Dummies," published in 2009. Education Lake graduated from Missouri State University. About The Balance The Balance, a Dotdash Meredith brand, makes money easy to understand. We give people tools they need to not only make smart financial decisions but also prepare for the experiences they will have along the way. Our team of expert writers and editors have extensive qualifications in the topics they cover, and many of them have MBAs, PhDs, CFPs, and other advanced degrees and professional certifications. We require our writers to use primary sources in their articles, which are also approved by our Financial Review Board and fact-checked. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.