About Us

A Brief History

In December 1988, Anita Coppedge and her daughter, Kim Matthews, formed a partnership and opened their first salon, Reflections of You. Their business took off rapidly, and within two years, they outgrew their space. While Anita and Kim were contemplating leasing more space, one of their competitors approached them about acquiring her business. An interesting part of her operation was the “Florida School of Nail Technology,” the only private nail technology school in North Florida.

In April 1990, they agreed to buy the business. Anita and Kim took care of their expanding clientele during the day and held classes at night, starting with a group of ten students. However, within two years, they were cramped for space and faced the need for another expansion. But this time, it resulted in a steady increase in new students. One of the reasons for the growth can be attributed to its reputation as a quality nail school.

In February 1992, they relocated to a location on Capital Circle NE and rented a 1,800 sq. ft. space. This new location began nail classes immediately, with 25 students enrolled. With the nail industry booming in the 1990s, Anita and Kim expanded their nail classes. It didn’t take long to realize that the skin care industry was just beginning to take off.

They held their first skin care class in April 1994, and subsequently changed the name to Florida School of Esthetics and Nail Technology, Inc. With the popularity of nail and skin care classes, they decided to take the next major step in January 1998. After renovating the space next door, they started the cosmetology course with nine students and big dreams. This growth and expansion gave birth to what is now known as North Florida Cosmetology Institute Inc. If you lived in Tallahassee in 1998, then you lived the nightmare of the expansion of Capital Circle NE. With a lot of hard work, dedication, and plenty of prayers, they survived the business growth and road expansion.

The Cosmetology program experienced rapid growth in 2000, and in April 2001, it expanded again. This resulted in a total of 3 rental spaces, each measuring 1,800 sq. ft., to accommodate their growing business. This was around the same time that North Florida Cosmetology Institute became accredited by NACCAS (National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts & Sciences). The business growth exceeded expectations with the NACCAS certification. Enrollment in the cosmetology program has nearly doubled each year since its inception in 1998.

In early 2004, Anita and Kim knew they had outgrown their current location. After searching for quite some time, they found a building on Allen Road, just north of the Tallahassee Mall. It was a perfect 9400 sq. ft. building with adequate parking. They completed the purchase in late August 2004. After countless hours of renovation and hard work, which would not have been possible without their family and friends, they opened their new location at 2424 Allen Road on November 9, 2004.

In August 2007, they expanded their curriculum to include Barber classes. This program has taken off with a boom. They have made numerous improvements to their building over the years and are confident that there is more to come.

The mother-daughter team is extremely proud of their accomplishments and the North Florida Cosmetology Institute’s campus. Most of all, they are proud of the past, present, and future students who have made their business a success and created some of the finest hairdressers, nail technicians, skincare specialists, and barbers throughout Florida and Georgia.

The school boasts a great staff and offers full-time classes with flexible hours, as well as public services for hair, skin, and nails. All service work is done under the supervision of qualified instructors.

Anita and Kim hosted an open house and 15th anniversary celebration on January 21, 2005, with great success, drawing over 250 guests. Additionally, the students and staff participated in an Avant-Garde Hair Show. The show’s success has created a desire by the students and staff to have other shows in the future.

In October 2006 and October 2007, they hosted a beauty show at the Elks Club to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (now known as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society). Unfortunately, one of their beloved students passed away from this dreadful illness. They and their fantastic staff raised $7,000 for the student’s family and foundation. They also had two different blood drives and bone marrow drives, collecting over 140 pints of usable blood.

In 2020, Anita and Kim celebrated 30 years in Business in Tallahassee. We had a fabulous party scheduled, but COVID had other plans for the year.

Please call to schedule an appointment at 850-878-5269.