Meghan Markle’s connection to Cookie Queens goes beyond her role as an executive producer.

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, director Alysa Nahmias says the Duchess of Sussex’s own childhood as a Girl Scout helped forge an immediate connection to the documentary, which follows four girls — Olive, 12, Nikki, 9, Shannon Elizabeth, 8, and Ara, 5 — navigating the highs and pressures of cookie season. Meghan and Prince Harry joined the project as executive producers through Archewell Productions.

“One interesting thing that we love about the personal connection is Meghan was a Girl Scout herself, and her mom was her troop leader,” Nahmias tells PEOPLE.

“Actually, she’s in the same council as Nikki and her sisters — Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles. That’s where Meghan grew up, participating in the same Girl Scout council,” she continues.

“That’s in addition to her really loving all the girls’ stories and understanding the bigger, more universal storylines in the film,” she says.

Nahmias says that shared background became “another anchor” for the project alongside the film’s broader themes of entrepreneurship, ambition and girlhood.

“We have an awesome executive producing team with so many people who are generous, supportive, successful in their own industries — and Meghan is one of them,” she says.

For Nikki, learning she’d be meeting the Duchess of Sussex, who once belonged to her same Girl Scout council, was surreal.

“I first heard about it, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is really happening,’” Nikki tells PEOPLE. “And then when I did meet her, we had a really, really awesome chat and I gave her a really big hug. It really meant a lot.”

Olive says meeting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex felt especially meaningful after she and her family had watched the couple’s Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan.

“Me and my parents watched their documentary on Netflix, and it was just such a full-circle moment to be like, ‘We watched your story, and now you’re watching ours,’” she tells PEOPLE. “To meet them, it was such a surreal experience. It was amazing.”

Shannon Elizabeth recalls being thrilled when she found out she’d get to meet the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. “I was very excited,” she tells PEOPLE.

For Nahmias, those moments reinforced exactly why Meghan wanted to be part of the project: helping amplify the girls’ stories.

“We’re proud to have her and Prince Harry shining a light on these girls’ voices,” she says.