In 2015, Susan Haas found herself in the midst of a challenging phase in her life. She was going through a rough divorce and custody battle for her son. Having relocated from Pennsylvania to Virginia to be closer to her son and his father, she was in unfamiliar territory with no friends or family around. She was also on a quest to find a new job.

When she finally got a call back from a company and scheduled an interview, she realized she didn’t have the money to get a proper hair styling.

“The roots, I swear, the roots were so dark. I mean, you could plant pansies in those roots,” she said. “That’s how bad I needed to have a cut and color.”

In a leap of faith, Haas decided to reach out to a salon she had visited when she first moved to Virginia. She requested to speak with the owner, Yvonne.

Haas explained to the owner that she was a mother, going through a divorce and a custody battle. She explained that she needed to secure a job to stand a chance in court. She wanted to look her best for the job interview and upcoming court date.

She proposed a deal to Yvonne, “If you would cut and color my hair … I will pay you if I get the job out of my first paycheck.”

Yvonne kindly accepted.

“They did a beautiful job on my hair,” Haas said. “And it just boosted my confidence because I had a court date that I had to go to, and it just made me stand a little taller, walking into the courtroom, knowing that I may not have a whole lot of anything right now, but I know that I presented well.”

Read the full story at NPR.org.