(FORTUNE Small Business) – I have attacked many diverse business ventures in my life, but hosting a daily nationally syndicated television show proved to be one of the toughest. Unlike other reality shows where someone gets fired, hired, married, tossed off an island, or given an amazing reward, my show, Pat Croce: Moving In, dealt with real-life problems--alcoholism, obesity, depression--that have real-life consequences. My job was to focus on one thing--making sure those consequences turned positive for the folks I tried to help. But coaching hundreds of show participants to take tough steps out of their well-worn ruts--in front of four cameras--was mentally exhausting! Despite my best efforts, the show was not picked up for a second season.

No, I did not consider the end of Pat Croce: Moving In a failure. It was a unique experience that taught me that my entrepreneurial skills don't always translate into successful new ventures. In my businesses I am used to working for however long it takes--and addressing more than one project at a time--to accomplish my goals. But shooting the program for Sony Pictures Television required a different mindset--complete focus on the participants for that day's show. I had to forget about switching gears, multitasking, and monitoring the progress of my many other projects. And I couldn't even think of calling in sick or changing the production schedule. If I didn't work, 20 other people on the crew didn't get paid. For the first time in a long time, it felt as if I were punching in for a nine-to-five job!

Don't get me wrong; it was a fabulous experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to positively affect people's lives in person and on national TV. I loved the people I worked with--passionate professionals who taught me much about their industry. And to top it off, I got paid handsomely!

So why wasn't the show renewed for a second season? In one simple word: ratings. Mine simply did not match Sony's expectations, so it canceled the show. What's not so simple to evaluate is why the ratings didn't surge like those of Dr. Phil or The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Maybe I overestimated my ability to entertain. Maybe the concept of the show--I'd literally move in to help the families--wasn't seen as different enough from the other hard-core self-help TV shows. For any new business to succeed, of course, it needs to stand out from the competition.

Maybe the shows that preceded mine, which was carried by UPN affiliates, didn't help generate interest. Had my show followed Fox's American Idol or ABC's Desperate Housewives, I might be laughing all the way to the ratings bank. Then again, had Michael Jordan played for the Philadelphia 76ers when I was team president, my fingers would glitter with championship rings.

But I don't kid myself. I didn't spend a lot of time mulling those questions; I know that hypothetical mind games are for losers. I was fully aware that, as in any new venture, there were no guarantees when I dove headfirst into the television game. The risks of failure, ridicule by critics, and embarrassment at low ratings were fully explained, as were the slim chances for success. But my perpetual positive attitude, combined with the challenge of doing a television show that had never been done before, trumped any potential downside. What a great opportunity regardless of the outcome. And I am of the belief that if you do your best, then God will take care of the rest. I did. And He did.