Born in Kankakee, Illinois, Schale is a graduate of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, where he received degrees in political science and history.
Wiles, who for several terms represented the most Republican seat held by a Democrat, went on to become the Minority Leader of the state house in Florida, where Schale joined him as his communications director.
In 2005, Schale left the legislature to take over the political operations of the State House Democratic Caucus, where under his leadership and working with former state senator Dan Gelber, the Democrats had their best two-year election cycle in history, picking up nine districts previously held by Republicans, for which Schale was called the "newest star of the Florida Democratic Party" by the St. Petersburg Times, and "Wunderkind" by the National Journal.
Following the two Obama campaigns, Schale returned to Tallahassee, where he married Nikole Souder-Schale, a regional vice president with the American Heart Association.
[2] In 2014, Schale won the KIE NASCAR league Championship which is often displayed behind him when he appears on television.