Reinvention, Not Retreat: Dean Hachem Calls for a Global Shift in How We Embrace Career Change

Entrepreneur’s Journey Through Hospitality Sparks Timely Conversation on Adaptability in Business and Beyond

Detroit, MI, 25th June 2025, ZEX PR WIRE, Entrepreneur Dean Hachem, recently featured in an exclusive interview titled “Lessons in Reinvention From Detroit to London,” is using his platform to raise awareness around the importance of normalising career reinvention in today’s rapidly changing world. Drawing on decades of experience across restaurant and airport food industries, Dean advocates for a mindset shift: one that sees career pivots not as setbacks, but as natural, valuable steps forward.

“We need to stop treating reinvention like failure,” Hachem said in the interview. “The most dangerous thing you can do in today’s world is stay still.”

His comments come at a time when many workers and small business owners—especially across urban hubs like London, New York, and Detroit—are navigating post-pandemic economic shifts, automation, and burnout. According to recent labour trends, over 50% of professionals under 40 have considered changing careers in the past two years, but many hesitate due to fear of judgement or financial instability.

Dean believes that cultural pressure to stick to one path is holding people back. “The smartest move I ever made wasn’t opening a restaurant or entering airports,” he said. “It was giving myself permission to start over—more than once.”

Born in Lebanon, raised in Kuwait, and educated in Michigan, Dean’s path defies linear expectations. He came to the U.S. to study engineering, but ended up opening The Sheik Restaurant in West Bloomfield, where he discovered a passion for community hospitality. Years later, he transitioned into airport food and beverage operations, managing fast-paced environments where logistics meet cultural diversity.

“The airport world moves fast. You’re serving people who don’t want to be there. It has to be efficient, predictable, but also warm,” he explained. “Once I understood that, I realised my past skills still applied—even in a totally new setting.”

Dean’s message speaks to a wider issue: the global need to reframe failure, risk, and transition in work culture. Whether it’s someone in east London changing careers after redundancy, or a student in Detroit unsure of what comes next, Dean wants people to know that change is not only survivable—it’s powerful.

“I thought about quitting more than once,” he admitted. “But every time I leaned into discomfort, I came out better prepared.”

He urges leaders and employers to encourage this mindset in their teams, and for individuals to stop seeking permission to evolve. “If you wait until you feel ready, you’ll wait forever,” he said. “You learn by doing. You grow by moving.”

Dean’s message is especially relevant in cities like London, where global influence, high costs, and entrepreneurial ambition collide. With so many industries in transition, his story challenges outdated norms around loyalty to job titles or career timelines.

“The best business decision I ever made wasn’t choosing a product,” he said. “It was choosing to keep learning—even when I didn’t know where it would lead.”

Call to Action:

Dean encourages anyone facing career uncertainty or major life changes to take the first small step—whether it’s asking questions, seeking mentors, or reflecting on transferable skills. You don’t need to follow his path, but you can adopt his mindset: reinvention is a tool, not a failure.

About Dean Hachem

Dean Hachem is a Detroit-based entrepreneur with roots in Lebanon and Kuwait. He studied engineering at the University of Michigan before launching The Sheik Restaurant in West Bloomfield. He later spent over two decades in the airport food and beverage sector, managing operations at scale while mentoring others through career transitions. Today, Dean continues to advocate for adaptability, self-reflection, and the power of starting over.

To read the full interview, click here.