As we near closer and closer to March (I know, right? Seriously?), I am proud to share what we are planning next for the Pioneers in Skirts™ filming effort.

Producer Lea-Ann Berst and I are making the documentary movie Pioneers in Skirts; focused on answering the question, “What Does It Take For Women To Succeed?” We have recently jumped head first into this film and are giving it all we have – which is truthfully the only way to make a movie. Just this last week, we filmed at the Girls World Expo in Raleigh, NC then moved on to Atlanta to interview Kat Cole, the President of Cinnabon.

We are filming interviews and events to build content for a sizzle-reel that will be used to raise funds to make the rest of the film, and this is set to go live at the end of April 2014. The footage we have gathered to-date has been amazing.

Below is a photo of Ms. Cole and me chatting at her dining room table about movies, career advice and coffee. No big deal.

Cinnabon Kat Cole Ashley MariaPioneers in Skirts is my life.

I dream about it. I even dreamt last night that I painted my apartment wall green to make a homemade green screen for Pioneers in Skirts interviews. Of course, in real life, that would just be silly…right? Hmmm….

No green screen needed for this.

With every good documentary comes a story arc that evolves around people who help you tell the story you want to tell. I’m excited to announce that we have chosen to follow the Consilium Consulting Group (CCG) to film how and why they decided to start their new company (follow them on Twitter @ThrivewithCCG). These ladies are all quitting their high-powered jobs to pursue a new (ad)venture in their lives.

thriveMy crew and I will travel to Franklin, Tennessee in mid-March to attend a business retreat for women called “Thrive” – where entrepreneurial women will learn new ideas and advance their skills to really succeed in their career and in their business.

The weekend is designed to help attendees fortify their business knowledge, tap into the freedom of their creativity, connect them to their own intuition, and find support in a powerful and meaningful way with other successful business women!

It will be a place where women can develop powerful networks and meet mentors who foster and nurture the leader in them. I will be attending as a filmmaker, but value having the chance to sit in and take advantage of the sessions. I am extremely excited about the people I will meet!

#ThriveWomensBiz

Continued… Why We Chose Thrive Organizers