When you meet Elizabeth Paulsen, founder and president of Cascade e-Commerce Solutions, Inc. (CeSI), you quickly sense that her story is one of grit, vision, and a deep commitment to lifting others. But at the heart of her journey lies a force that shaped her very foundation: her mother’s unwavering expectation and belief.

The Power of a Mother’s Belief

Elizabeth’s childhood was marked by significant challenges. In second grade, she was misdiagnosed as “mentally retarded” and told she would never be college material. But her mother, Wilma, refused to accept this. “She took that as a challenge and tutored me all the way from second grade through high school, got me into specialists, and they helped her,” Elizabeth recalls. It was Wilma who discovered Elizabeth’s profound hearing loss and advocated for the surgeries that restored her hearing. She also devised creative strategies to help Elizabeth overcome dyslexia, using everything from sandpaper cut letters to muscle memory exercises.

“My mom was just an advocate, you know, got me what I needed in terms of the surgeries and then tutored me,” Elizabeth says. “She really taught me resilience—taught me how to, when people say you can’t do this, step back and evaluate: is it a good thing? Would it be a blessing to me and to other people? Is it beneficial? Then I’m going to show I can do it. I’m just going to do it.”

This foundation of expectation and advocacy not only propelled Elizabeth through her education—including a scholarship to Mount Holyoke College—but also instilled in her a quiet determination to persevere, no matter the odds.

Resilience Forged in Adversity

Elizabeth’s adult life brought its own tests. Her first marriage was upended by her husband’s sudden illness and subsequent abuse, forcing her to rebuild from scratch as a single mother. She found work in aerospace, then healthcare, rising through the ranks despite health setbacks of her own. “I was very ambitious,” she says, “but you have to face it and have seasons of life.”

When she and her second husband, Glynn, decided to start CeSI in 1998, the family’s history with failed businesses loomed large. “My birth family was not positive about it,” she admits. Yet, Elizabeth persisted, drawing on the mentorship of multi-generational business owners and the Small Business Development Center. “If you use that time well to reorganize all your files, to upgrade your systems, to train your staff, when the downturn turns around, you will be in a better position than you were going into it. And he was so right.”

Through recessions, 9/11, and COVID-19, Elizabeth’s resilience never wavered. She credits her ability to adapt and grow to the lessons of her mother—and to the support of a community she intentionally built around her business.

Entrepreneurship as a Pathway for Others

From the beginning, Elizabeth and Glynn were intentional about making CeSI a corporation, hiring staff, and creating a business that could outlast them. “I believe in community. And I think a business, regardless of how big or small it is, establishes a community,” she explains. “You have the staff who work in that business and their families, and then you have the customers and clients and their families. And you’re creating an ecosystem that you want to have continue on.”

Elizabeth’s commitment to mentorship is woven into CeSI’s DNA. “We’ve had at least 34 staff since 1998, and most stay from three to five years. They gain skills that allow them to move on to their dream job. And I take such delight in knowing that even though I haven’t been in the field of education, I’ve been a pathway. Our business has been a pathway
to people.”

She celebrates when her employees “get their wings,” moving on to bigger opportunities. “I love seeing people grow and succeed. And I love it when they have creative ideas and being able to help them implement and make it happen.”

A Legacy of Empowerment

Now, with offices on both coasts and a thriving team, Elizabeth remains focused on empowering others—whether it’s helping Tabor 100 members build their digital presence or supporting her staff’s professional growth. “I don’t mind being, our business being the best kept secret of a business’s success because I feel their success is my success. It all comes back to that teacher mentality.”

Elizabeth Paulsen’s story is a testament to the enduring power of expectation, resilience, and the belief that true leadership means giving others their wings. Her mother’s lessons echo in every life she touches, ensuring that her legacy is one of empowerment, community, and hope.