About Jacob Schmalzle
Jacob Schmalzle has over 20 years of entrepreneurial and business consulting experience across diverse sectors. He founded Spirit of Service (SOS) in 2025, a company providing estate executor and trustee services. Based in Winter Garden, Florida, he currently serves as Founder of Spirit of Service while continuing work as an Independent Business Consultant, a role he has held since 2006.
Before founding Spirit of Service, Schmalzle served as US Sales Director at MW Control Solutions from January 2020 to October 2024, based in Winter Garden, Florida. His earlier ventures include founding EcoPallets Kenya Limited in 2013, which he states expanded to four countries, and East Africa Pet Food Distributors in 2010. He also founded Village Markets of America in 2007. He attended Wittenberg University.
Spirit of Service was founded after Schmalzle, an active church volunteer and musician, was asked to help a resident of his church’s retirement community who needed assistance planning for probate. The company describes its model as charging the state minimum rate of 3% and donating 10% of all fees collected back to the client’s church or favorite charity. According to Schmalzle, Spirit of Service has donated over $2 million to charity from client estates.
Schmalzle’s motivation for founding Spirit of Service stems from personal experience. He states that after losing his father, Pastor Bob, and grandmother within a few months, he was forced to learn the estate planning, probate, and trust process while grieving. He describes this experience as difficult to navigate without help and states it gave him compassion for clients facing similar circumstances.
He grew up in a missionary family, and his father was a pastor who he credits with teaching him to see Christ in others and serve when called. Schmalzle describes his approach to Spirit of Service as a professional extension of his personal intent to serve each client, integrating his faith into his business model.
Schmalzle is a member of the Professional Fiduciary Council of Florida and the Professional of After Loss Services (PALS). His memberships also include the American Chamber of Commerce chapters in Johannesburg, South Africa and Nairobi, the Central Florida Christian Chamber of Commerce, and the Osceola County Chamber of Commerce. He has participated in the U.S. Commercial Affairs Office Trade Mission and U.S. Commercial Service Tradewinds Business Development.
He defines success as enabling clients to give more to their children while also giving to the church, and describes his leadership as grounded in faith and trusting that his talents equip him to serve those in need.
Career Background
Spirit of Service (SOS)
Self-employed
MW Control Solutions
EcoPallets Kenya Limited
East Africa Pet Food Distributors
Village Markets of Africa
Education
Wittenberg University
Media
Press
Jacob Schmalzle is the founder of Spirit of Service (SOS), a faith-based estate executor and trustee organization that helps families navigate probate and trust administration. His path into the industry was unexpected and deeply personal.
Most people never plan to work in probate. The industry usually finds them after a death in the family, a confusing legal process, or a stressful estate dispute. For Jacob Schmalzle, it started with a request from someone at church.
Most people don’t plan to build a career around probate and estate administration. For Jacob Schmalzle, the work began with a simple act of service at church.
Most people choose an executor without explaining what the role actually involves. Then the day comes when the person named in the will has to step in and figure it out alone. Estate executor Jacob Schmalzle, founder of Spirit of Service, has seen this problem play out many times.
Boards & Memberships
- Professional Fiduciary Council of Florida
- Professional of After Loss Services (PALS)
- American Chamber of Commerce, Johannesburg, South Africa
- American Chamber of Commerce, Nairobi
- Central Florida Christian Chamber of Commerce
- Osceola County Chamber of Commerce
- U.S. Commercial Affairs Office, Trade Mission
- U.S. Commercial Service, Tradewinds Business Development
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