NOT Your Cookie-Cutter Baker

NOT Your Cookie-Cutter Baker

A little-known fact about the founder of Nasty Cookie: she is a professional bodybuilder and personal trainer. Read on as we chat with Regine Sum, a young woman pursuing her unique ambitions

Story by: Lee Sue Jean | Photos by: Regine Sum, 8 DAYS

The homegrown brand Nasty Cookie brings something different to our shores: New York-inspired cookies with generous toppings and sweet fillings. Talk about irresistible!

What comes as a surprise is the woman behind the desserts, a young fitness enthusiast. At the age of 23, Regine Sum is already managing her own successful business inside and out.

Not only is Regine the sole person in charge of branding and marketing, but she also prepares the dough, works retail shifts, and handles logistics. She juggles these responsibilities with her other professions such as personal training and bodybuilding.

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JOURNEY TO WELLNESS

When Regine first got into fitness at the age of 15, her journey was not easy. As a teenager, she was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome, a condition which leads to increased heart rate problems.

Back then, she visited the sickbay and hospital frequently. “Because of this, people viewed me as physically weak,” she recounted. “I had really low self-esteem due to that.”

After undergoing an operation, Regine was able to blossom and grow through fitness. She started to hit the gym and developed her love for bodybuilding.

Rising above all odds, she is now an experienced and certified personal trainer. She has participated in several bodybuilding competitions, her most recent achievement being the first runner-up prize at the 2019 Josh Lenartowicz Classic in Australia.

SOMETHING’S COOKING

As for Regine’s culinary roots, they began when she started to learn baking at the tender age of seven. Since then, she has been improving her skills with lots of trial and error.

In 2018, she used her baking knowledge to her advantage and started selling cookies online to raise funds for an overseas trip. 

“It wasn't my intention to start Nasty Cookie as a full-fledged business,” Regine admitted. “It was just an accidental success and I decided to continue with it.”

Her online business has since taken up residence in the newly refurbished Funan Mall. The eye-catching store is in a fresh shade of turquoise with Instagrammable displays on the walls, attracting many to “get nasty” themselves.

THE TASTE OF SUCCESS

How Regine got her business to its current position was not an easy task. Her greatest challenge was having no investors or funding from others, which forced her to start it up by herself with no experience in the field.

With all sorts of accomplishments under her belt, it is clear that her hard work has paid off. “My proudest achievements thus far are being able to help transform over hundreds of people's lives and bodies through fitness since I was 18, as well as starting a business at the age of 21 that has gained social media fame,” Regine shared.

Embracing The Veggies

Embracing The Veggies

Summer Breeze

Summer Breeze