Bakker Shields | AR Funnel COO, Builder of The 5 Stages

01 · On the record

Bakker, by the numbers

5Stages, Foundation to PinnacleThe 5 Stages Framework

~$3MAR Funnel this yearHis figure, on Instagram

20People on the AR Funnel team, aroundRun by Bakker as COO

$100K+Spent attending events in 355 daysNot counting the events AR Funnel hosts

Bakker Shields

02 · The story

It’s not you. It’s your stage.

Bakker runs operations at AR Funnel and built the entire diagnostic framework the Coach Operator Workshop is built on. He has systematized businesses from $10K to $200K a month, and he can tell you what is broken at your stage and how to fix it.

Coaches describe the same moment: Bakker reads out the symptoms of their stage, and they wonder how he knows their exact problems. He knows because they are not unique. Every stage has its own bottleneck.

From the room: one coach finally saw her pricing gap laid out clearly and built a named method around her offer. Another arrived with ideas and no method, and left with intellectual property he could explain and sell.

Who is Bakker Shields? Bakker Shields is the COO of AR Funnel and the creator of The 5 Stages Framework, the 3-3-3 Meeting System and Rock-Road-Rail planning. He leads diagnosis, systems, operations, team management and strategic planning at the Coach Operator Workshop.

Role: COO, AR Funnel
Teaches: Diagnosis, Team and operations, Strategic planning
Live: 3C Challenge, Day 2
Based in: Dallas, Texas
Instagram: @bakker.shields

03 · The road here

One domino at a time

2023

Coaching Con

The first real event in the fitness coaching space. In his words, that one domino turned into millions in revenue for AR Funnel and tens of millions for its clients.

Co-founder

AR Funnel, with Mike Crowson

An all-in-one platform for online coaches, trusted by more than 1,300 coaches.

Every month

The Coach Operator Workshop

Two days in Dallas. Diagnose the stage. Find the bottleneck. Build the plan. Then execute.

2027

NPC Junior USA Pro Qualifier

AR Funnel is the official host, in Charleston, South Carolina.

What Bakker owns

Diagnosis

Which of the five stages you are in, Foundation, Awkward Years, Chaos, Operator or Pinnacle, and the bottleneck that comes with it.

What Bakker owns

Team and operations

The 3-3-3 Meeting System, M.O.A. for metric ownership and H.I.R.E. for hiring decisions. For when the team exists but nothing gets done without you.

What Bakker owns

Strategic planning

Rock-Road-Rail planning, your top 3 priorities and this week’s actions. Nobody leaves without a 90-day plan.

04 · From the feed and the room

Bakker, off the slides

From @bakker.shields and the Coach Operator Workshop in Dallas.

The AR Funnel team at HQ — @bakker.shields

Bakker Shields at the Coach Operator Workshop — Operator Workshop

Bakker Shields at Coaching Con 2023 — @bakker.shields

Coaches at the AR Funnel Lead Summit — @bakker.shields

The AR Funnel team and coaches at HQ — @bakker.shields

AR Funnel hosts the 2027 NPC Junior USA Pro Qualifier — @bakker.shields

Bakker Shields and Mike Crowson at Coaching Con 2023 — @bakker.shields

05 · Reels and client proof

Bakker on camera. Clients on camera.

Your problem isn’t unique. It’s your stage.

@bakker.shields on Instagram

$25K a month is where business gets awkward

@bakker.shields on Instagram

$50K problems are different from $10K problems

@bakker.shields on Instagram

What Mark had to say about the AR Funnel workshop

@bakker.shields on Instagram

Investing in yourself never really ends

@bakker.shields on Instagram

What does it take to survive a Q4 like this?

@bakker.shields on Instagram

Dilan Velagic

@dilanvelagic

“We felt like we were in a prison more than anything else. And then we joined AR and we got so much of that time back.”

Dylan Bair

@dylanbair_rd

“After implementing AR, now we’re averaging 150 to 170K months.”

Rachel

AR Funnel client

“Going from like 15K for the most part to 28,000 has been pretty cool.”

Jared Hamilton

@realjaredhamilton

“My sales numbers before signing up with AR was probably around like 30K a month. And then my highest month I’ve ever had with AR was about 115.”

Brad

@reliant.fitness

“Within several months of starting up with AR, I was basically doubling that. My biggest month since joining AR was 145K.”

Katie Salerni

@katyliftz

“Best month, 100K without any ads.”

Client figures were said on camera by the coach they belong to. Best month means best month. A range stays a range. Not an average and not a promise. Read every result in full

What clients say

In their words

Ross Tschim: The fact that they have an entire team to help you build out your funnel and automations and make sure everything actually works.

Taylor Ellis: AR Funnel sees each of their clients as more than just another paycheck.

Kevin Ford: Someone proactively reaches out to me frequently to see if I need any specific support.

Kim Palmer-Nicks: The team that AR Funnel has is hands down the best support I have ever received in building my business.

Rodney Lambert: How easy they make it to keep on top of leads and how it sets you up for success.

Dustin Holston: Automation that saves us hundreds of man hours.

Mase Molina: Great customer support and service.

Seth Humphrey: I love the simplicity and the support.

06 · Questions

About Bakker

What is The 5 Stages Framework?

Bakker’s diagnostic for coaching businesses: Foundation, Awkward Years, Chaos, Operator and Pinnacle. Revenue tells you which stage you are in. The framework tells you what is actually broken there.

What if I am between stages?

You learn both the stage you are in and the one you are moving toward, so you can build the systems before the next bottleneck hits.

How do I find my stage before the workshop?

Take the Bottlenecks Quiz. Eight questions, about two minutes, and you get your stage and the bottleneck that comes with it.

The bench