I was thrilled this morning when I read your question for the first time.
"Are there any shortcuts to success in SFI for new affiliates? "
My first though was: Is there any shortcut for anything?
This reminds me on movie called "Shortcut to happiness"
My conclusion for both is: There is no shortcut to important things in life!
For all we care we need to dedicate and to do our best to succeed!