Check Out Ahmet Bozer’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ahmet Bozer.

Hi Ahmet, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in Turkey during a period when the world felt much less connected than it does today. To give you a sense of how different the environment was, even carrying a U.S. dollar bill could technically violate laws meant to protect the Turkish lira. Yet growing up in that environment felt, in many ways, sweet and innocent.

My father was determined to expose his three boys to education in the United States, and that journey eventually brought me to Atlanta to pursue a master’s degree in Information Technology at Georgia State University.

A couple of weeks into classes, what struck me most was the culture — how positive, constructive, and encouraging it felt. For the first time, I truly felt barriers could be broken. I even surprised myself academically and moved beyond what I had always thought of as my “eternal B+ student” ceiling. Those years gave me a tremendous boost in confidence and motivation about what life might hold.

That momentum eventually led me to join The Coca-Cola Company, where I had the opportunity to work across many regions and, as I like to say, “taste” the cultures of the world. Over time, I was honored to serve as President of International Operations, a role that allowed me to see firsthand how different people, markets, and cultures approach life and leadership.

Years later, walking again through the streets of Buckhead and Brookhaven, I found myself reflecting on what I wanted to do after Coca-Cola. Being back in the same city where my own confidence and motivation had first expanded brought that feeling into focus again. My global leadership experience had deepened my passion for the question of how people unlock their potential, and I felt drawn to help more people experience that same sense of possibility.
All of this led me to dedicate my second career to this mission. As I reflected on how I could contribute, I began by developing a practical approach to lifelong growth. After eight years of work, that effort gave birth to my book Soulgery — short for “Self-Surgery of the Soul.” Today, I continue working to share and expand this work so it can reach and support more people in navigating their lives with greater direction, impact, and excellence.

In many ways, this chapter feels like a continuation of the journey that first began when I arrived in Atlanta as a student — only now with a clearer sense of what that journey was leading toward.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My first instinct is to say the road has actually been quite smooth. But the human psyche is fascinating — what feels overwhelming in the moment can seem manageable, even formative, when you look back. That was certainly true for me.

My forties were especially challenging. There were periods when everything seemed to pile up at once — conflicts and crises at work, moments of uncertainty, wondering whether you would be able to keep everything on track. At the same time, my children were moving into their teenage years, bringing the worries every parent understands.

It was also around that time that I began to notice that health doesn’t feel quite the same as when you’re twenty and invincible. Deeper questions about life and the future started quietly entering my thoughts. When you combine everyday pressures with a touch of existential anxiety, it can feel like quite a load.

Still, I consider myself fortunate. While those years were demanding, they were also shaping and strengthening. Looking back now, I can see that what felt heavy at the time was also preparing me for what came next.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Launching “Soulgery” late last year was the beginning of a much longer journey. What matters most to me now is making sure the ideas don’t just sit on pages, but actually reach people and support them in their everyday lives. To help with that, I stay in ongoing dialogue with readers through my website, blogs, social media, podcasts, and a newsletter called SoulGram.

I’m also working on a companion app designed to help people apply these ideas in real life and connect with others who share a passion for growth, while exploring partnerships with institutions interested in bringing this approach into their communities.

I don’t usually think in terms of pride because my focus has always been less on personal achievement and more on whether the work genuinely helps people. What gives me the greatest sense of fulfillment is seeing the ideas move beyond the book and become something people can actually use as they navigate decisions, challenges, relationships, and aspirations.

If there’s something that sets this work apart, it’s the attempt to bridge areas that are often kept separate. It invites people to reflect deeply on life’s bigger questions while also offering ways to apply those reflections in everyday situations. The perspective is shaped by insights from both Eastern and Western traditions, and it treats personal growth not as something you complete once and for all, but as a lifelong journey that evolves with you.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I’ve come to believe that life is lived somewhere between control and surrender. We shape our path through our choices and effort, but there’s no question that luck plays a role in opening — or closing — certain doors along the way.

When I look back, I can clearly see how fortunate I’ve been. The family I was born into, the encouragement that led me to study in the United States, the opportunities that brought me first to Atlanta, then back to Turkey, and eventually again to Atlanta — so many of those turning points involved timing and circumstances I couldn’t have planned on my own.

As for bad luck, honestly, nothing dramatic comes to mind. Even this morning, coming back from a doctor’s visit, it struck me that some of the health challenges I’ve faced over the years ultimately made me stronger and more aware of what really matters. In hindsight, many things that felt difficult at the time turned out to be teachers rather than obstacles.

So I see luck not simply as something that helps or hurts us, but as part of the larger journey. What matters most is how we respond to what comes our way, and whether we use those moments — good or difficult — to grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://soulgery.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookofsoulgery/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmetbozer/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bookofsoulgery